New Delhi, October 11
While the central government has given the green light for the gradual reopening of schools as of October 15, many states, including Delhi, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, have decided not to do so, while others such as Haryana and Meghalaya are still uncertain and are assessing the situation in light of the growing number of COVID-19 cases.
Universities and schools across the country were ordered to close on March 16 to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. On March 25, the Center announced a nationwide shutdown. While various restrictions have been gradually relaxed in different phases of the ‘unlock’ since June 8, educational institutions remain closed.
However, according to the latest unlocking guidelines, schools, universities and other educational institutions outside of COVID-19 containment zones may reopen after October 15. The final decision on the reopening of the institutions was left to the states and territories of the Union.
The Delhi government has decided to maintain the status quo on school closings until October 31, after which a review of the situation will take place.
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced that schools outside the containment zones will reopen from October 19 for students in classes 9-12.
According to Senior Deputy Minister Dinesh Sharma, classes will be held in shifts and schools will need to follow all necessary protocols, including social distancing and proper sanitation of facilities. Students may only attend classes after providing written permission from their parents or guardians.
The Karnataka government has said it is in no rush to reopen schools and will accept a call on the matter after evaluating all aspects.
“Neither our government nor the Department of Education is rushing to open schools under any circumstances. The health and safety of our children are very important to us,” said Karnataka Minister of Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar.
The Chhattisgarh government has said schools in the state will continue to be closed until new orders are issued in light of the pandemic.
The Maharashtra government has said it will assess the COVID-19 situation after Diwali and until then schools will remain closed.
“Schools will not reopen in Maharashtra until the end of Diwali. After Diwali, Senior Minister Uddhav Thackeray will assess the situation before making any decisions,” said Senior Deputy Minister Ajit Pawar.
The Gujarat government has also said that it is likely to consider reopening schools only after Diwali.
The Meghalaya government has asked parents for comments before making a final decision on reopening schools in the state.
According to the Minister of Education, Lahkmen Rymbui, the state government has decided that the upper primary schools will be reopened only to clarify doubts related to the studies of students in classes 6, 7 and 8, as is being done for secondary students and upper secondary on October 15.
The Puducherry government has announced that students in grades nine through twelve will have classes beginning October 8.
According to Puducherry’s director of education, Rudra Goud, the classes would run for only half a day on six days a week until new orders are placed.
While students in grades 9 and 11 will have classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, those in classes 10 and 12 will have classes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Attendance would not be compulsory and the classes are intended solely to clarify doubts and guide.
While the Haryana government is contemplating reopening schools for classes 6 to 9 to allow students to receive guidance from teachers, a final decision has yet to be made.
The Andhra Pradesh government has also decided not to resume normal classes until 2 November. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that the decision on reopening schools will be made only after mid-November.
The education ministry released the guidelines last week for the reopening of schools, including thorough cleaning and disinfection of facilities, flexibility in attendance, no evaluation for up to three weeks, and the guarantee of a smooth transition from homeschooling during coronavirus-induced shutdown to formal education.
It also asked the states and territories of the Union to frame their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for health and safety precautions, based on their local requirements.
India’s COVID-19 case count has surpassed 70 lakh, 13 days after crossing the 60 lakh mark, while the number of people who have recovered from the disease has surpassed 60 lakh, according to data from the Union Ministry of Health updated on Sunday. The national recovery rate stands at 86.17%.
The number of COVID-19 cases increased to 70.53,806 with 74,383 infections reported in one day, while the death toll rose to 1,08,334 with 918 people succumbing to the disease within 24 hours, the updated data showed. at 8 am. —PTI
