Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, announced Friday that schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes would reopen in phases starting September 1.
The city’s educational institutes were forced to close on April 9 when the second wave of Covid-19 caused a surge in cases, causing authorities to enforce a strict lockdown. The decision to reopen schools was made at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Members of the DDMA include Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, AIIMS director Dr. Randeep Guleria and NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul.
Schools will begin providing physical classes for students in grades 9 to 12 on September 1, according to Sisodia. Colleges and universities, including coaching institutes, will reopen as well. It was not immediately apparent whether Delhi University-affiliated colleges will start classes on September 1. As per Sisodia, comprehensive guidelines for reopening educational institutions would be released soon.
Sisodia also stated that pupils will need parental or guardian permission to attend physical education sessions. Those who prefer not to attend physical classes will be able to continue in an online manner.
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Following the DDMA meeting, a senior official stated that classes 6 to 8 will resume on September 8. However, Sisodia stated that the decision on permitting kids in grades lower than 9 will be made when the first phase of reopening is completed. On August 16, schools had begun to allow students from classes 10 and 12 to appear for practical tests.
Sisodia added that nearly all teachers in Delhi’s 1,053 government schools have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and immunisation rates are as high as private school teachers. The Directorate of Education recognises 1,368 private schools in the city. The DDMA made an in-principle decision to reopen schools on September 1 after experts, including Dr. Guleria of AIIMS, stated that ‘opening of schools must be considered as pupils have suffered a lot.’
On Friday, Sisodia stated that online programs do not provide the same level of education as physical classes in schools. ‘Social distancing will have to be ensured. No one will be forced to attend schools and no one will be marked absent for skipping physical classes. Classes will take place in blended mode – both online and physical. So far, five states across the country have reopened schools for all classes — from nursery to standard 12. In around 12 states, classes 6 to 12 have reopened. In our survey, we found 70 percent of parents were in favour of reopening schools,’ Sisodia said.
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