Uttar Pradesh Unlikely To Reopen Schools From Sept 21 Amid Surging Covid-19 Cases; Know What Deputy CM Said

Uttar Pradesh government may not have schools reopen this month considering the Covid-19 situation in the state.

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Lucknow: Talking about the matter of reopening schools as per Unlock 4 guidelines, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma revealed that chances of the partial reopening of schools from September 21 were "very bleak" because of the coronavirus situation in the state.  "It is very unlikely that schools can be allowed to function partially. It is not possible to run schools, even partially, at least, for this month. Safety of the students is a big issue and it cannot be compromised," Sharma said. However, the final call to take still lies with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who will decide if schools will be reopened this month or not. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has not come up with any plans for the same. Parents are also unwilling to send their children to schools amid the Covid-19 crisis, which is also why the classes or student-teacher meets that can be held are voluntarily and guardians' consent is mandatory for them. At present, classes are being conducted through Doordarshan UP for Class 10 and 12, and Swayambha channel for Class 9 and 11. The timetable of the class is fixed every week. E-learning has been adopted for classes up to 8th standard through WhatsApp groups or other such means. As per reports, Haryana, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh are the states that are preparing to reopen schools for voluntary classes. MHA's Directive On Reopening Schools

• States/ UTs may permit up to 50% of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching/ tele- counselling and related work.
• Students of Classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools in areas outside the Containment Zones, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers.
• This will be subject to the written consent of their parents or guardians.
• Such visits and teacher-student interaction must be organized in a staggered manner.

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