As cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) decline across the country, several states have allowed schools to reopen. The government has mandated a strict adherence to the protocol against Covid-19, and school officials have been asked to follow it. Face masks must be worn at all times, and social distancing is required. Rajasthan and Bihar, for example, have made it mandatory for all teachers and school staff to receive at least one dose of the vaccine.
Following the announcement by chief minister Basavaraj S Bommai regarding the resumption of classes 9, 10, and pre-university courses, schools in Karnataka are set to reopen on Monday (PUC). Schools in Uttar Pradesh were scheduled to reopen on Monday, but were postponed due to the death of former chief minister Kalyan Singh. As part of the three-day mourning period, the state has declared a public holiday in honour of the late leader. The Uttar Pradesh government announced the reopening of intermediate schools with a 50% attendance rate.
In the first week of August, schools in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Punjab, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Chhattisgarh reopened. On August 16, the state of Andhra Pradesh also resumed classes. In the same week, Bihar resumed classes for grades 1 through 8 with a 50% enrollment.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra is undecided about whether or not to reopen schools. The state government announced the reopening of schools for grades 5 to 7 on August 17. However, after receiving advice from its Covid task force, it later revoked the announcement.
From September 1, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are expected to begin physical education classes for students in grades 9 to 12 with a 50% capacity.
In Delhi, students in grades 10, 11, and 12 are only permitted to visit schools for the purposes of admission and board exam preparation. On August 25, a committee of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will present the chief minister and Lieutenant Governor with a report on the strategy for reopening schools, colleges, and educational institutions. Based on the panel’s recommendations, the government will decide whether physical education classes can resume.
