HYDERABAD: After closing down educational institutions for 10 months during the pandemic, the state government has decided to reopen schools, junior colleges and degree colleges in the private and government sectors from February 1. Classroom teaching will resume for students of Class 9 and above in 20 days from now.
In all likelihood, students of class 10 and above will be appearing for the board exams for the current academic year 2020-21.
In the last academic year, SSC exams were annulled following high court’s intervention and students were promoted to the next class.
The CM directed the officials to make all arrangements for reopening schools, colleges and institutions offering vocational and professional courses. Addressing a conference of district collectors at Pragathi Bhavan here on Monday, the CM also directed the collectors to ensure that all Covid-related precautionary measures are taken at schools, colleges and hostels before January 25. He said toilets must be sanitised for the safety of the students.
“By January 25, keep educational institutions ready to conduct classes. Ministers should visit SC, ST and BC hostels and ensure that Covid-19 safety meaures are in place,” the CM said.
Four lakh class 9 students, three lakh degree and engineering students and 50,000 to 70,000 postgraduate students will be going back to classrooms from February 1, officials said.
The CM said that measures should be taken to properly store rice, pulses, foodgrains and cooking material of the mid-day meal scheme and also see if the grains that were stored in schools since March are consumable or not.
Sanitisation of schools ordered
Social welfare minister Koppula Eshwar has directed the officials to take up sanitisation of SC, ST, BC hostels and minority residential schools and colleges. “A special meeting will be convened at the earliest to implement the orders of the CM on the reopening of educational institutions,” Eshwar said.