Thiruvananthapuram: Online classes will be held for five hours when the academic year commences in colleges on June 1. The decision was taken during a meet chaired by Higher Education Minister R Bindu.

The Universities can take a call on when the classes should begin at the university departments. After the online classes, students should be provided with the study materials and notes in PDF format.

The online classes should be taken for five hours during time slots between 8:30am to 3:30pm. Related learning activities should also be held.

The time slot for classes that begin from 8.30am will be till 1.30pm, for classes that begin from 9am till 3pm and classes that start on 9.30am till 3.30pm. At least two hours of online class should be taken daily. Students should utilise the rest of the hours for related activities. Classes on Friday will continue the current schedule.

College councils can decide on the class timings which are also convenient for students. Heads of institutions should also ensure this.

Teachers should report for duty at colleges if the lockdown is lifted on June 1. Those who face travel hassles due to the Covid regulations should inform the principal. In the following days, the teachers can take online classes from their homes. The principal should ensure the presence of the essential number of staff.

Students, who have limited technical facilities to attend online classes, should be identified and provided technical assistance by the principal with the help of department heads. The services of Akshaya centres can be sought for this. If needed, guest teachers can be appointed with the permission of the department director.