The Arunachal Pradesh Govt in a Cabinet meeting decided to reopen Schools for Class X and XII, in view of the Board Exams after a hiatus of over eight months. State education minister Er Taba Tedir while briefing the media on New Education Policy 2020, announced reopening of schools from 16 November at the Civil Secretariat.

Tedir informed that the decision to start offline classes was taken after witnessing ‘poor’ internet connectivity in various parts of the state despite their attempts to improve it. “Despite our attempts to get the internet connectivity improved with a series of meetings with the service providers, it still was not working out. Even in the capital region, it was working for only 60-70 per cent students while the conditions of others were similar to that of students living in districts and far-flung areas,” he said. The Education Minister also stated that vocational training would be introduced for students from class VI. “And for that, local artisans will be engaged to train the students,” he said. He further added that local dialects will also be introduced in schools till class V. “If students learn their mother tongue it becomes easier for them to easily learn other languages,” he opined.

The minister also informed that the Schools will reopen while observing specific SOPs and that they have to obtain written consent from their parents to resume their normal classes. There shall be no board exams for class VIII and IX. Even if the State Cabinet gave its ‘go ahead’ for reopening of schools from November 16 for class X and XII students in view of their ensuing Board exams, the Govt decided that with nearly eight months of the academic year 2020-21 already lost due to the pandemic, there would be no pre-Board exam for the class X & XII students this year.