Talks on with DD, other channels for distance learning modules for students: Pramod Sawant

The Goa government is talks with national broadcaster Doordarshan and other private channel platforms to develop and broadcast the teaching modules for school students,

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday, even as schools continue to be shut down in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rising number of active cases.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of Education department officials and other stakeholders like representatives of bodies of headmasters and the Parents Teachers Association, Sawant, who also holds the Education Ministry portfolio, said that students from STD IX and XI would automatically pass to STD X and XII, due to a decision taken on Monday to scrap supplementary exams for the two grades.

Follow live updates on the coronavirus here

"We are thinking of options. We are looking at Doordarshan and other channels to partner. We will see if we can take this to rural areas, where there is no mobile coverage," Sawant told a press conference.

Mountainous Goa is plagued by poor mobile and internet coverage especially in the state's rural areas, where internet connectivity is virtually nil, which is a deterrent for online education modules, which some urban schools have adapted to due to the pandemic.

Sawant also said that the Education Ministry was also considering uploading teaching modules on Youtube for students living in urban areas and easy availability of syllabi content.

The Chief Minister also said that all teachers would have to report to their respective schools from Wednesday and prepare for the upcoming academic year.

"Teachers will have to compulsorily attend their schools, irrespective of whether the schools are government or government aided institutions. All government staff attend office, teachers should also be available in schools," Sawant said, adding that a formal decision on opening up of schools would be taken on July 15.

"There is no decision yet on opening of schools. The decision will be taken after July 15, after seeing what the situation is in Goa," Sawant said.

Active COVID-19 cases in the state have reached over 700, even as Goa also witnessed its first COVID-19 related death on Monday in the form of an 85-year-old man, who Sawant said was also suffering from asthma and diabetes.