Chennai: As planned Tamil Nadu government reopened schools for Class 9 to 12 students on Wednesday by enforcing standard operating procedure to curb the spread of novel coronavirus amid a pandemic. Even though the schools were permitted to function till 3.30 pm, many schools functioned only till 1 to 1.30 pm with half the strength to ensure physical distancing and curb the spread of COVID-19.
Several images circulated on the first day of school on social media showed enthusiastic students returning to their classrooms. Some of the schools invited their students with chocolates while other schools distributed books for the students attending classes after a gap of several months. The Class 9 students attended their first class of the academic session after 15 months while Class 10, 11 and 12 students attended schools after 8 months. From the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year, all classes took place only on online medium.
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On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi addressing the media persons said, the schools can function till 3.30 pm and it is not strict for schools to function till 3.30 pm. However, it is learned that schools are reportedly ensuring that the students are dispersed from the school before lunch hours since permitting the students to have lunch on campus can lead to spread of COVID-19, said a report in Times of India.
On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu government also informed Madras High Court that students will not be compelled to attend classes in the schools. The state also informed that students are permitted to opt for online classes. The Tamil Nadu government informed the court while hearing a public interest litigation filed by K Abdul Vahabudeen of Tirunelveli district who sought to permit students to opt for online classes.