“Normally, during the third term, students preparing for the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate stay at home for revision. However, the process starts some time later, when the dates of the exams get nearer.

On the first day of this week, more than 50% of SC and HSC students in private colleges have preferred to stay at home. The one-week holiday has accentuated the rate of absenteeism,” says Harish Buchooa, member of the Associa­tion of Managers of Private Colleges.

For many schools, he adds, the exercise of giving out homework to the students has been unexpectedly beneficial and a good experience.

“Last Friday Aug. 21, all the teachers were present to give homework to their students. The students came to collect their work on Friday and Saturday and all went through smoothly without any hitch. If we have to repeat this exercise,we are ready for that,” said Kisnasamy Pillay Ramen,  Rector of Patten College Girls.

Ramen pointed out that the students were well-motivated and interested in completing their homework at home.

He said: “The students know the importance of education. They are aware that, though they are not coming to school, they have to continue the work at home. They have at least been able to start their revision work which is as important as completing the syllabus.”

However, in other private colleges, the process of giving homework to the students did not take place.
“Instead of giving homework, we asked the students to start their revision work.

Many students stay far from the school and many, due to certain constraints, would not have been able to come to schools and collect their homework. That is, some students would have got additional work whereas some would have remained with no work at all. We believe that it is a system that would have penalised a large number of students. As for the lessons that have been missed, there will be catching up classes during the activity period to allow the teachers to complete their syllabus,” say managers of private colleges.