PANJIM: With several educational institutions being designated as polling stations for Saturday’s Assembly elections, school managements declared the election-eve as holiday or half day. Many teachers being on poll duty was another reason institutions cancelled classes.
“It is the discretion of the school managements whether or not to conduct classes,” Education Director G P Bhat told Herald. Education Department was aware that several schools had declared a holiday while some held classes till the recess on Friday. A few schools took the opportunity and sent students on a picnic or educational tour.
Sources said that a primary school at Porvorim took students to Old Goa whereas the management of a reputed Panjim school decided to drive its students to Bondla zoo.
“It was good break for the students from the continuous studies and the exams they recently appeared for,” a class teacher said adding that they had made prior arrangements for the outdoor trip considering that holding classes would not be possible on the eve of elections.
A few schools decided to take a day’s break to ensure their students utilise the time to prepare for the final exams scheduled in March-April. One school principal told Herald that its students were advised to devote the holiday to studying.
“The students got a long weekend to concentrate on their studies in view of final exams approaching. We cancelled classes on Friday and the following day is a holiday being the voting day,” he said.
The managements claim that parents were informed about this in advance to avoid any confusion.
