Schools in Mizoram to reopen from October 16 for Classes 10 and 12

Schools in Mizoram to reopen for Classes 10 and 12 from October 16, the state Education Department official said.

The Mizoram Government has announced that it has decided to regularly reopen schools for students of Classes 10 and 12 from October 16, a School Education Department Official said. The decision has been taken in line with the Union Home Ministry's order, which allows states to reopen schools after October 15, in a graded situation, depending on the COVID-19 situation in their respective states, School Education Department Director James Lalrinchhana told a media house.

Mr Lalrinchhana said the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte, in which officials of the department and representatives of a church body, the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), student bodies and other stakeholders took part. The Education Department has issued a separate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which should be followed by all the authorities of schools and hostels besides students, he said. He further said that only those students will be given permission to stay in hostel who will test negative for COVID-19 in rapid antigen tests.

The state government has partially reopened schools from September 21 for students of classes 9 to 12, allowing them to consult their teachers on subject matters. It set the limit of pupils who can go to the educational institutions in a day.

During the meeting, it was also decided to continue the existing system for students of classes 9 to 12 and decided to hold the next deliberation before mid-November to decide on reopening primary to high schools depending on the COVID-19 situation in the state, Mr Lalrinchhana said. He said the School Education Department has conducted activities like online competition, weekly worksheets and televised classes during the lockdown to bridge the education gap.

The issue of extending the current academic session was also discussed in the meeting and the matter was referred to a committee on the school academic calendar to take the final decision, the official said.

Schools and other educational institutions across the state have been kept closed since mid-March owing to a coronavirus outbreak. 

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