Schools in rural areas of Thane to resume classes from January 27

According to sources, Thane District Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered to start schools in the rural areas of the district soon.

In view of resuming classes amidst the outbreak of the coronavirus, Shinde ordered to start all media and all management schools as well as ashram schools from January 27.

Meanwhile, schools are about to resume classes 10 months after the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Initially, as per the state government's order, all ashram and management schools in Thane district were closed to students till January 16. However, now the Guardian Minister Shinde has given instructions to start ashram schools with all the management schools from 5^th to 12^th standard in the rural areas of Thane district.

However, this decision and order are not applicable to the urban schools in Thane, Kalyan and Dombivali districts. Shinde has ordered to start classes from January 27 only for rural schools. Resuming classes in the urban areas will be decided separately, he added.

Separate instructions will be given for schools in Ambernath and Kulgaon Badlapur municipal areas. District Collector Rajesh Narvekar also clarified adding that the instructions of the school education department will be binding on the concerned school administration.

On the other hand, even though some districts of the state had reopened schools in November (Classes IX to XII), regions like Mumbai, its suburbs, Pune, Thane, and Nashik weren’t allowed to reopen due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. However, a week back, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray offered the approval to reopen schools a day after Republic Day.