Government issues clarification on Schools closure until December

The decision on the re-opening of the schools has not been taken by the Centre yet, the government agency clarified.

Soon after several media houses reported that the schools across the country will not be opened until December, the government agency has issued a clarification that the Central government had not made any decision on the same yet. The schools have been kept closed since mid-March as a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus. The Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had recently said that the decision on the re-opening of the schools will be taken only after discussion with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs once the situation becomes conducive. 

Several state governments including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Goa are considering reopening schools from September. But parents are not ready to send their children to schools just yet. Most of the parents urged the state government to reduce the syllabus and continue the online classes. Meanwhile, students who belongs to weaker sections of society are suffering in the current situation, as they do not have any proper access to online educational tools and with the severe financial crisis, most of them are turning into daily wagers to make ends meet, as per reports. 

Whenever the schools will reopen, it will be much different from the ‘normal’ used to be. Masks, sanitisers will be a must. During an online interaction, Pokhriyal had said, modified seating arrangements, change in timings and further division of the class into different sections could be among the key features. 

The government is expected to reopen the schools in a phased manner and students in Classes 9 to 12 will be called first. As per the ministry officials, students in classes 1 to 5, are unlikely to go back to schools anytime soon, a media house reported. 

The Education Ministry had earlier ruled out the possibility of declaring 2020-21 as a “zero academic year” due to the COVID outbreak.

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