Picture used for representational purpose only
MUMBAI: Reopening of physical classes for the 10.5 lakh class 1-7 school students in the city has been deferred to December 15, by which time definitive information about the Omicron variant is likely to be available, BMC said on Tuesday.
Most schools in the city, though, are likely to push offline classes for primary and secondary students to January as they will close for Christmas holidays less than a week after the December 15 reopening.
The state had permitted reopening of all classes from Wednesday. Classes 8-12 that reopened in October will continue in the hybrid mode.
Across MMR, Thane (including rural) and Navi Mumbai will reopen for primary and upper primary sections on December 15. Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, and Vasai – Virar are still to decide. Rural Palghar will bring back primary students on Wednesday, schools in urban areas of Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad will decide after December 10.
Schools told to use 2 wks to get parental consent
BMC education officer Raju Tadvi said while Omicron is a variant of concern, schools in the city need time to get parental consent and put Covid protocols in place. The 2,261 private, aided and unaided schools are already functioning for higher secondary students. They have a major task of getting parental consent, which has reduced after reports of the new variant.
The 1,159 civic schools in the city have to undergo a major overhaul before bringing back 2.9 lakh students. Tadvi said the top priority is sanitising schools, taking over premises that were being used as vaccination and Covid centres, and procuring masks. “Free masks will have to be distributed among students, for which a purchase order has to be placed,” he said.
Civic teachers on Covid duty have been told to get ready for the December 15 reopening.
Schools have been directed to use the two weeks to get parental consent and get classrooms in order. “We have been told to clear our cupboards in the classrooms so that teachers can be assigned their classes,” said a teacher from a school in Malad.
ICSE schools in Mumbai have requested the BMC to allow them to reopen from December 21 or January 2022 as currently board exams are in progress and most schools will shut for Christmas vacations from December 23. CBSE schools, too, are conducting offline board exams for Class 10 and 12 students and most classrooms are used to accommodate students. Each class has to accommodate only 12 students in the ongoing board exams.
Schools have welcomed the decision to delay physical classes. “Schools do need time before we plunge into action for opening up schools for classes 1-7. Parents of primary students are especially skeptical about physical schools. By January, things would shape out better for parents who could get prepared mentally and physically for the same,” said Gool Ghadiali, principal, Gopal Sharma Group of Schools, Powai.
V Kannan, principal, Vasant Vihar School, Thane, said parents’ concern is understandable. “A clearer picture on the new variant will help. Hopefully things settle down in two weeks.”
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