CHENNAI: The School Education Department has decided to compensate the holidays declared due to Michaung rains and flooding by conducting classes on Saturdays to complete the pending portions. In addition, concentration will be given to the students from Class X to Class XII, who will be attending board exams between March and April this year.

A senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity, on Friday said that conducting Saturday classes for the students would be applicable for the schools in the districts, which were affected by the recent floods.

"Accordingly, the classes for the students especially in Chennai would be conducted in the coming four Saturdays -- January 6 and 20 besides February 3 and 17", he said adding "Since more rains were predicted, schools from southern districts, which was also affected by floods, could decide on conducting special classes according to the instructions".

Pointing out that schools from the rain-ravaged districts including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet were allowed to function on Saturdays, he said ""the management of especially government schools were instructed to ensure that all the students have textbooks and education materials when they attend the classes".

Stating that private schools could also organise classes on Saturdays, the official said that "at the same time, they (private institutions) should ensure that they should not put extra burden to the students by conducting additional class hours on regular/weekly days".

The official said that the state-run schools were also instructed that all the teachers (except for exceptional cases) to be present for taking classes on Saturdays. "In addition, more concentration would be given to the slow learning children and students", he said.