Maharashtra: Classes For Grades 1-12, Pre-Primary To Reopen From Monday

On Thursday, January 20, the Maharashtra school education minister, Varsha Gaikwad was quoted by reports stating that from Monday, January 24, the state will be reopening schools for grades 1-12 with COVID-19 protocols. She added that the state Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray had agreed to their proposal. 

From 24 (January) we will be reopening schools for classes 1-12th with COVID protocols; CM has agreed to our proposal: Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra School Education Minister pic.twitter.com/Tji4l8Y0AF

— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2022

Other than this, pre-primary schools will also be opened from Monday, Gaikwad mentioned. It has been reported that Thackeray permitted the resumption of physical classes for pre-primary to grade 12 in schools to commence from Monday.

Gaikwad remarked that written instructions will be issued by today or tomorrow. She added that school managements have been given advance notice of four days to ensure vaccination, sanitization and preparation of time-table. Further, she said that timing and other decisions will be taken by the local authorities based on the local situation.

Previously, the school education department had sent a proposal to Thackeray seeking permission to recommence the offline function of schools according to the decisions taken by the respective local administration. 

Principal Kavita Chatterjee, Orchids- The International Schools, Kurla, Mumbai was quoted by a press release saying, "There's a complete upheaval in education due to the COVID-19 and we are facing turbulences with the dip and surge in the cases with each month. Now, if the schools are to begin, we need to monitor the situation closely for a while keeping in mind the safety of the students. We must ensure maximum students are vaccinated before they step into the school again. The parents are equally frazzled and strained due to the new strains that show up at regular intervals. Nevertheless, education shouldn't be compromised and if the situation permits, the schools should be opened as soon as possible. Our management is taking stock of the situation currently and will make the final decision as to when to start the physical classes." 

Schools in Maharashtra began physical classes on December 15, 2021. Then there was a Christmas break from December 23 and schools were set to resume on January 3. However, they were asked to function online till January 31, by the BMC owing to the rise in coronavirus cases. Later on January 8, the Maharashtra government announced that schools could not hold offline classes till February 15 in light of the restrictions it brought into force.