Schools reopen across states amid Covid norms
States such as Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu saw students return to schools
NEW DELHI: Wearing masks and carrying umbrellas as heavy rains lashed Delhi, students of classes 9-12 returned to schools on Wednesday following a long hiatus due to Covid-19 pandemic, even as some institutions chose to adopt a wait-and-watch approach. States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu also saw students return to schools on Wednesday while Chhattisgarh schools will resume physical classes from Thursday.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia tweeted: “After 17 months schools have reopened and students will again sit and study in classrooms and have fun with their friends.”
Following a marked improvement in the Covid situation, Delhi on Friday announced that schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions would reopen from September 1. There are about 700,000 students in government schools from classes 9-12, but owing to Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) guidelines, only 50% students per classroom are allowed.
In Rajasthan, government and private schools reopened for classes 9 to 12 on Wednesday. The turnout, however, was not high on the first day as online classes are being held simultaneously. According to government guidelines, classes with only 50% strength are allowed at a time with a strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
School syllabus has also been cut by 30%.
“Due to the Covid-19 infection in the last three months, classes in schools could not start due to which studies of the students have been disrupted. Also, there is a need to reduce the curriculum by 30% in all the schools of the state. The decision has been made,” school education minister Govind Singh Dotasra said.
In Tamil Nadu, offline teaching for classes 9 to 12 resumed on Wednesday, with strict Covid-19 protocol in place, while physical classes in colleges also commenced in the state.
On March 20, in the backdrop of surging coronavirus cases, the government ordered closure of schools for classes 9, 10 and 11 from March 22.
However, it was then announced that they would continue to function for the 12th standard students as they had to take up the board examination.
Students on Wednesday returned to their respective institutions and were allowed entry upon thermal screening. Use of hand sanitisers and face-mask has been made mandatory, state officials said.
The SOPS, announced last week, include presence of 50%. The government had mandated that schools should function six days a week and classes and sections have to be split into batches of not more than 20 students per classroom, according to the SOP.
Meanwhile, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting on the reopening of schools and the roadmap for vaccinating their staff. “Shiksha Mantri Shri @dpradhanbjp reviewed the status of schools reopening across the country with senior officials of Deptt. of School Education & Literacy. He also took stock of the roadmap for vaccinating all teaching & non-teaching staff in schools by the month of September,” the ministry of education said in a tweet. In Madhya Pradesh, schools for classes 6 to 12 started physical sessions on Wednesday with 50% cap on attendance.
While the attendance was thin in schools, students were glad to attend physical classes after nearly 17 months.
In Chhattisgarh, the government issued an order permitting private and government schools to reopen for classes 6, 7, 9 and 11 with 50% attendance from Thursday, an official said.
Schools have already resumed for classes 1 to 5, 8, 10 and 12 from August 1, and a fresh order permitting resumption of physical school for classes 6, 7, 9 and 11 was issued by the school education department, the official from the public relations department said.