Schools in Tamil Nadu are all set to reopen for Classes 10 and 12 from Tuesday after a 10-month hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preparations have been in full swing in all high and higher secondary schools including self-financing institutions across the Tamil Nadu to carry out sanitising works and storing vitamin and zinc tablets for the students who have lost more than seven academic months.

Inspections were also carried out in the schools by the district education officers to monitor the safety measure activities on the campus.

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that timetables have been prepared based on the reduced syllabus for both the classes.

"More than 17 lakh students of Classes 10 and 12, who will be taking their board exams, are expected to rejoin school on Tuesday," the official added.

Stating that all school managements have been instructed to let only 25 students be in one class, the official said all district education authorities would carry out surprise inspections on a regular basis to check if the security measures are being followed.

Apart from the fresh SOP issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department ahead of schools reopening, the Directorate of Public Health also issued its own general guidelines for schools.

Accordingly, screening of all school children and teachers will be done in a week's time. "If needed, other public healthcare workers may be mobilised to check the students. The screening should also include checking for co-morbidities," the senior official said.