Delhi schools reopen today for all classes with 50% capacity

New Delhi: Delhi schools are reopening for all classes with 50% capacity from Monday (November 1) as announced by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia last month. The physical attendance, however, will be voluntary and parents would not be forced to send their children to school.

All classes in the national capital Delhi will resume from today after remaining closed for 19 months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had announced that schools would reopen for all classes from November 1, even though teaching and learning would continue in blended mode.

The schools have been asked to ensure that there is not more than 50 per cent attendance in a class at one point of time and no student is forced to attend physical classes.

According to reports, the Delhi government schools have been reporting over 80 per cent attendance after they reopened in September for classes 9 to 12, while private schools are in the process of sending out consent forms to parents and most of them are expected to decide their plan of action after Diwali.

Private schools that are expected to reopen after Diwali are DAV Public School, Pushpanjali Enclave, Indian School and Bal Bharti School, Pitampura, among others.

Kerala schools re-open from today 

As Kerala is all set to re-open schools from Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the guidelines prepared jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Education need to be strictly followed by all schools.

"It is very important to keep the schools functioning in a safe manner. The support of teachers and parents alike is essential in this regard. For this, the guidelines prepared jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Education in collaboration with other departments need to be strictly followed," the Chief Minister reportedly said.

"Important instructions have been passed on to schools and to parents also," Vijayan said, adding that the schools would implement necessary instructions to control congestion in schools, maintain maximum social distance among children, and ensure cleanliness in classrooms and surroundings.

He further said, "Each school will work in collaboration with the health department to take the necessary steps to complete the safety procedures. Necessary mechanisms are in place to monitor and implement these activities." 

Detailing on the government`s decision over re-opening schools in Kerala, CM Vijayan said that the study was able to progress well through online classes, but students missed the school ambience.

(With Agency Inputs)