HYDERABAD: After a gap of nearly one-and-a-half-year, schools and colleges are set to reopen in Telangana from September 1.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday directed officials to reopen all government and private educational institutions from kindergarten to postgraduate level (KG to PG) and anganwadi centres in the state from the first of September.
The CM also directed medical and health, municipal administration, panchayat raj and rural development officials to sanitise all educational institutions and hostels in villages, mandals, districts, towns and the state capital by August 30.
The education department will come out with guidelines in a day or two on the functioning of schools and also issue clarity on whether the offline classes are mandatory or the online classes would continue, leaving the option to the parents to take a call.
Due to the pandemic, the educational institutions had remained closed since March 2020. Except for reopening briefly in February 2021, the institutions were shut down again in March this year following a surge in Covid-19 cases. However, online classes were being held to ensure that the academic year was not lost.
The CM took the decision at a review meeting after medical and health department officials submitted a report that the pandemic was very much under control in the state.
“Keeping in view of various factors and after a detailed discussion at the meeting, the government has decided to reopen the educational institutions from September 1 after taking measures for the safety of students,” the CM said.
Zilla parishad and mandal parishad chairpersons will inspect the educational institutions and submit a report on sanitation, KCR said.
At the meeting, the CM said the education sector in the state was in the doldrums due to closure of institutions.
Apart from students and parents, the fate of teachers of private schools and affiliated institutions remained uncertain.
Measures taken by various state governments which reopened educational institutions were also discussed at the meeting.
The health officials pointed out at the meeting that due to prolonged closure of educational institutions, there was a rise in cases of psychological (mental) stress among students.
“It is the responsibility of municipal administration and panchayat raj departments to take up sanitation in government schools. Even sarpanches and municipal chairpersons should ensure cleaning and sanitisation of water tanks, classrooms and washrooms in the government educational institutions,” KCR said.
The high-level meeting was attended by ministers, chief secretary, advisors to the government and senior officials of various departments.
