Coronavirus: Schools May Reopen for Classes 9-12 Voluntarily Amid COVID-19
New Delhi:
Partial opening of schools will be allowed, but only on a voluntary basis starting Sept. 21, the government said today, more than five months after they closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. This, however, will be applicable only to older students who belong to Class 9 and above, the government said. The final decision was left to the parents, who must provide written permission for the pupils to go to school.
There are no words, there are no schools open to younger students. Children under the age of 10 are among the population particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.
A detailed guide the government issued today says it encourages online classes, but older students “will be allowed to visit schools on a voluntary basis.”
Such visits, the government said, should be organized in a staggered manner, since it will be mandatory to maintain a distance of 6 feet between students in classes. Physical distancing must also be maintained in staff rooms, office areas, cafeterias, libraries, and other places.
The other safety measures would include the use of masks, disinfectants, frequent hand washing, and respiratory etiquette.
For now, only 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff will be allowed in, the government has said.
Schools were abruptly closed during February and March as the central and state governments prepared to meet the challenge of the coronavirus before the national shutdown.
The government had even removed the board’s exams this year after the closure was announced, asking schools to conduct an internal evaluation.
Since May, although the lifting of the restrictions began in stages, the schools have been off all lists so far in view of the safety of the students.
This month, the government began conducting competitive entrance exams for medicine and engineering courses after the Supreme Court ruled that the future of students should not be put in jeopardy.
The exams have been developed with all security measures, in the face of strong opposition from a section of states and political parties.
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