Students from Classes 6 to 8 can return to school from February 22 in Karnataka

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to reopen schools for Classes 6 to 8 from February 22. However, this is not applicable to schools in areas on the border with Kerala and in Bengaluru.

The decision was announced by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar S after a meeting with the Technical Advisory Committee on Tuesday.

Kumar said that schools in Bengaluru and in areas neighbouring Kerala will be open for students from Class 8. Teachers and students coming from Kerala will have to test for COVID-19 and on producing a negative report can attend offline classes.

Vidyagama classes have already opened for these students, with sparse attendance.

Kumar said a video conference will be convened for all district administrators on Wednesday to discuss and inform them about monitoring the provisions and measures to be taken for the reopening of schools.

At present, the government has reopened schools for Classes 8 to 12.

At the meeting with TAC on Monday, the minister is said to have discussed the CBSE circular about starting the new academic year 2021-22 in April.

The Karnataka government has decided to begin the academic year for 2021-22 on July 15.

They also discussed reopening of schools in various states -- from Class 9 and above in Delhi, Class 10 and above in Kerala, Class 9 and up in Odisha, Classes 6 and above in Haryana, Class 5 and above in Maharashtra and Class 1 onwards in Punjab.

There was also the fear of a second wave due to the resurgence of the virus in neighbouring Kerala. Two apartment complexes and a nursing college had a large number of cases in Bengaluru, he noted.

No decision yet on Classes 1 to 5

Whether Classes 1-5 will be resumed this year will be discussed with the Technical Advisory Committee by February 25, Kumar told mediapersons.

Two analysis reports will be coming to the department by then -- on the virulence of the new wave of the virus and a survey of dropouts.

He said there was a strong demand to reopen schools for students from Class 1 across the state by parents, SDMC members and educationists. He said he felt perturbed about the research results by Azim Premji University on regression in learning due to prolonged closure of schools.

Hostels

The social welfare and backward classes departments will open their hostels. At present, 70,000 pre-matric students have been admitted, and with Classes 6-8 opening up, the numbers are bound to increase, he said.

Transport

Kumar said that the transport department and various transport corporations were approached to increase the number of trips  as per the requirement of students. In the previous week alone, about 250 new routes have opened and more than 1500 trips have run, he said.

Random COVID-19 tests

COVID19 tests are being held for children at random in schools and the health department is overseeing this in the whole state, he said.