Schools to not reopen in Maharashtra before Diwali: State School Education Minister

Schools in Maharashtra not to reopen before Diwali, state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said.

Owing to the rising coronavirus cases in the state, the Maharashtra state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad has announced that the schools in the state will not reopen before Diwali. The state has until now reported 15,17,434 COVID-19 cases and 40,040 deaths due to the disease. Schools across the country have been kept closed since mid-March due to coronavirus outbreak and to avoid the spread of the COVID-19. The Center has however given permission to the state government to reopen schools from October 15. 

"Schools have been conducting virtual classes and teachers have been taking special classes for students in some areas. However, the challenge is to find a way to end the academic year and assess students, she said. "While we are exploring various options, it is clear that schools will not open before Diwali," Ms Gaikwad said.

According to senior officials in the state education department, reopening schools under the current circumstances is out of the question, as there is no sign of the pandemic abating. State Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant also said his department does not intend to reopen colleges until the COVID-19 situation is under control.

"The situation is grim for students who wish to pursue higher studies abroad, as their future depends on our decision," he added. Even as the state government and bureaucracy mull over solutions, children and parents are worried as they seem to be caught in a quagmire.

"I have taken an education loan and my parents are repaying it. If I don't get good grades in exams, how will I get a good job?" said Raviraj Humbe, an engineering student from Pune. There must be some technical solution for conducting exams and tests, he said.

Meanwhile, education expert Kishore Darak suggested that the state government can club two or three educational years so that concerns of parents about academic loss can be addressed. While the safety of students is imperative, it is high time that the state comes up with a bipartisan approach towards education, he said.

"The government must come up with a solution where local officials are authorised to take context-specific decisions like full or partial reopening of schools or alternate day scheduling of classes, among others," he said.

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