Schools in the State look set to reopen as per schedule on January 1 after the Christmas holidays.
There was confusion over the school reopening on the first day of the new year as the Statewide National Service Scheme (NSS) camps for higher secondary and vocational higher secondary students will conclude only that evening.
However, there has been no direction from the government on changing the reopening date as yet. Schools will stick to the academic calendar and reopen on January 1. There is no need for declaring a holiday that day, say higher secondary officials.
As far as the NSS camps are concerned, the camps were planned in a manner that their schedule would not have to be changed for the reopening. Directions have been issued to engage the NSS volunteers in activities outside schools so that academic activities on campus are not affected. Once the outdoor activities are completed, the camps are supposed to be wound up by January 1 evening.
The NSS camps began across the State on Tuesday and are to go on till January 1. Nearly one lakh NSS volunteers across higher secondary and vocational higher secondary wings are taking part in the week-long residential camps. As per the NSS manual, the camp activities are to be held for seven continuous days. The Director of General Education had given permission for conducting the camp from December 26 to January 1, and it will be held as decided, say NSS officials.
Since field activities comprise a chunk of everyday projects during the seven-day camp, the volunteers will be away from campuses for most of January 1. The camp will conclude that evening with the dedication of the Sneharamam campaign as part of the ‘waste-free new Kerala’ programme in all NSS units, say NSS officials.
There had been calls for postponing the school reopening date to January 3 as January 2 is a holiday on account of Mannam Jayanthi.
