Reacting to the SRC’s announcement, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash today said, “The guidelines were issued yesterday. The schools for classes 10 and 12 students have already been opened earlier, while offline classes of standard 9 students will commence from August 16.”
The Odisha government announced new Covid-19 rules for August on Saturday. The speculations about the reopening of schools for students in Classes I to VIII are gaining steam in the state.
Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena said the School and Mass Education department has the authority to decide. But the question here is whether or not to reopen schools at this time when the third wave is estimated to arrive anytime soon.
“Discussions are underway to reopen schools for class I to 8 students. A decision in this regard will be taken soon,” Samir Dash stated. After analyzing the state’s Covid-19 situation, the Odisha government reopened schools for classes 10 and 12 on July 26.
To avoid the spread of Covid-19, the schools were opened strictly according to the State School and Mass Education Department’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The administration has clarified, that students and their parents have the right to decide to send their ward to school or not.
Furthermore, online classes would be offered to the remaining students (who do not wish to attend offline lectures), including classes 10 and 12.
