New Delhi: With the daily national coronavirus caseload dropping below 30,000, several states and UTs have decided to reopen schools that were closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some states are resuming normal classes gradually from January 1, some have decided to open schools only for senior students.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had also issued guidelines on reopening of schools wherein states and UTs have been given powers to take decision on resumption of classes in graded manner.
In the guidelines, the MHA had said that the decision on reopening of schools shall be taken in consultation with the respective school/ institution management, based on their assessment of the situation. The MHA had stated that the online/ distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged in all schools.
Here is the list of the states that are planning to reopen schools from January
Bihar: All government schools and coaching centres in Bihar will reopen from January 4, 2021. As per the order, senior classes will reopen from January 4, and after reviewing the situation for 15 days, junior sections will also reopen.
Puducherry: All schools in Puducherry would be re- opened on January 4. Initially, the schools would have half-a-day classes from 10 AM to 1 PM and full-day classes from January 18. All the basic safety norms would be adopted by the institutions, Education Minister R Kamalakannan said.
Karnataka: The Karnataka government permitted schools to resume classes for standard 10th & 12th from January 1. However, students who want to attend schools will need a written permission from their parents. Making the announcement, Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar also said that Vidyagama programme for Classes 6 to 9 will begin from January 1.
Assam: Similarly, the Assam Government has decided to reopen the schools and other educational institutions from the elementary level to the university level from January 1.
Pune: The schools in Pune Municipal Corporation will be reopened from January 4. Issuing an order, the Pune Municipal Corporation stated that the schools for students of 9th to 12th standard will reopen from 4 January. It also stated that all schools will have to follow the COVID-19 SOPs.
Meanwhile, states like Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan have already reopened schools for students from Classes 9 to 12, in the wake of upcoming board examinations.