MUMBAI: Following demands by parents and schools, the school education department has submitted a proposal to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking reopening of all schools, including pre-primary classes, in the state from Monday, January 24. The proposal is likely to be taken up in the cabinet meeting on Thursday.
In the wake of rising cases of the third wave, physical classes at schools and colleges in the state were shut till February 15. School education minister Varsha Gaikwad said they are empowering the local bodies to decide on details like which classes to start, frequency and from when. “In the proposal that we have sent this time, we have suggested reopening of pre-primary classes, apart from classes 1-12, but the final call has to be taken by the local administration as to which classes they want to start taking into account the Covid-19 situation in the area,” said Gaikwad.
The minister said they have sought vaccination camps for 15-17-year-old students in schools and want it made mandatory for teaching and non-teaching staff to be fully vaccinated. “We have sent the proposal and are hoping for a positive response. The local administration has to plan how they want to call the students and they have to ensure that all the SOPs given by the state government are followed,” said Gaikwad.
Officials said the SOPs will continue to be the same as they were, and parents’ consent will be mandatory.
Shivnath Darade, president, Maharashtra Rajya Shikshan Samiti, said schools should reopen but teachers testing positive should be given paid leave. Principals said the abrupt closing of schools puts a financial strain. “Each time we shut and reopen, we have to spend on sanitisation. The state should allow schools to decide on opening and shutting,” said a Bandra school principal.
