Bhubaneswar: As the coronavirus caseload started dipping on a regular basis, the state/UT governments in India are gearing up to reopen schools and educational institutions at the stroke of the New Year 2021.
Some states are contemplating beginning normal classes while some are in favour of reopening schools for senior students. The schools brought down the curtains in March at the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had also released guidelines wherein states and UTs were given powers to take decisions on the resumption of classes in a graded manner.
Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash had indicated the possibility of reopening of schools in the state from January 2021 though no fixed dates have been announced. However, priority will be given to secondary and higher secondary schools, especially Class X and XII.
Here’s the list of few states who have already announced the reopening of schools at the stroke of the New Year.
Assam: The Assam government is set to reopen the schools and other educational institutions — from the elementary level to the university level — from January 1.
Bihar: All government schools and coaching centres will resume operations from January 4. According to the order, senior classes will reopen on January 4, and after a 15-day review, junior sections too will reopen.
Puducherry: All schools here would reopen on January 4. The schools will start with half-day classes from 10 am to 1 pm. Full-day classes will commence from January 18. The institutions would adopt all the basic safety norms, said Education Minister R Kamalakannan.
Karnataka: The state government has allowed resumption of schools for standards Xth & XIIth from January 1. However, students would require written permission from their parents to attend the schools. The Vidyagama programme for Classes VI to IX will also start from January 1.
Maharashtra (Pune): The schools under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will reopen on January 4 for students of Classes IX to XII following the COVID-19 SOPs.
Meanwhile, states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Haryana, Jharkhand and Rajasthan have already reopened schools for students from Classes IX to XII while West Bengal has decided to keep schools shut as of now.
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