Unlock 4: Are Schools And Colleges Going To Reopen From Sept 1? Know All Details Here

Unlock 4 School, Colleges Reopening Dates: India is getting ready for the final Unlock or Unlock 4, which will begin from September 1. Will the government decide to open schools and colleges now?

New Delhi: Unlock 4 will start in India from September 1 and it is expected that the government will extend relaxations for most services in this phase which happens to be the final phase of unlock. One of the sector severely affected by the pandemic is education. Not only were exam schedules disrupted but schools have remained shut since March.  ALSO READ: Corona Cases Today: With Over 67K New Cases, India's Tally Crosses 32 Lakh-Mark; Nearly 60,000 Deaths So Far The lockdown on schools was announced in March 16 after the Centre announced a nationwide shutdown as a safety precaution for Covid 19. On march 24, a nationwide lockdown was announced and since then students have been relying on online classes. A report by Times of India says that most parents are still wary of sending their children to school especially as the cases of coronavirus in India have not abated. They also feel that making sure that children follow all the protocols will also be a difficult task. "I request the government to wait for some more time to see the disease trend and plan appropriately,” said B Appalaraju, a concerned parent whose child studies in a school in Andhra Pradesh in the report. According to a report by Economic Times, the center is planning on reopening the education institutes in phased manner from September 1 till November 14. Some of the recommendations according to the report are- asking only students from class 10 to 12 to attend school for the first 15 days, calling different class sections to attend school on particular days to avoid overcrowding. There may also be restrictions on timings. After senior classes, schools may begin classes for those in Class 6 to 9. The report says that the guidelines have been formulated by the group of secretaries associated with the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid management, headed by Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan. But according to some media reports, the centre is planning to open only higher educations institutes such as IITs and IIMs. In a report by PTI an official was quoted saying that there will be no reopening of schools and colleges immediately, but discussions are underway on whether to allow the reopening of higher educational institutions such as universities, IITs and IIMs. He also clarified that 'No decision has been taken on the matter yet'. Some of the services that may reopen in Unlock 4 will include metro services. According to sources, the government is expected to roll a plan with guidelines to re-start the Delhi Metro.