The Union and state government might permit the resumption of educational institutes. In a recent development, it is being said that schools might reopen in a phased manner with primary students resuming classes much later than the senior students. However, in Maharashtra, as per "Mission Begin Again" which is valid till June 30, 2020, schools will not reopen this month.
Besides the general safety measures, the government is considering running classes on shifts in the initial few months after schools are opened, according to two government officials familiar with the development. As social distancing happens to be much tougher among the younger students it becomes a lot more difficult to manage them. Moreover, the learning loss for a nursery student is negligible when compared with a secondary school going student. As per officials, this would be a key criterion to be accounted for while discussing the rules.
Currently, around 290 million students are pursuing education at over 1.4 million schools. Educational institutions have been closed since the third week of March and are yet to resume.
The Home Ministry guidelines stated last month that educational institutions can be expected to reopen after July in order to get full consultations with all the stakeholders and the health ministry. As per the Right to Education Act, school going students from class one to five, cannot be detained if they fail. However, in the midst of a pandemic, putting young students at risk can be avoided.
According to sources, authorities have said the process of dialogue has already been initiated and a round of meeting between human resource development ministry and the state education department officers is almost over. While parents across the country seem hesitant about sending their children back to school due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, it will be crucial to see how schools maintain social distancing protocols to safeguard their students after educational institutes reopen in all the states post the lockdown.
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