Assam plans to resume X, XII, UG final-year classes from Sept 1

GUWAHATI: Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu on Sunday announced reopening of classes X, XII and final-year degree courses from September 1, though the Covid situation is static in the state for the past one week with 600-700 cases detected everyday.
Pegu said an SOP for reopening of educational institutions will be published this week with detailed guidelines as and when it gets approval from chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “We will start offline classes from September, phase-wise. First, final-year classes like class X, XII, and degree final-year classes will commence,” Pegu told the media on Sunday.
He said based on the progress of the Covid situation, rest of the classes will start too. “The SOP is under consideration and likely to be published in the next three days if the chief minister gives his nod," Pegu added.
Government sources told TOI that from now onwards, even if Covid cases surge, schools and colleges will be closed district-wise, considering the Covid situation at the micro level. Students have incurred heavy academic losses since last year after the Covid outbreak. Alongwith financial woes to buy smartphones, lack of internet connectivity has been an additional impediment to the government’s plans to help students with online classes.
“Several states in the country have already started offline classes, though the second wave still persists. The Assam education department has taken the final decision to start offline classes from September 1 and has sought the views from the state health department as a formality,” said a senior official of the education department.