Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday announced that schools would reopen for students in classes X and XII across the State from January 19, as parents in about 95% of the schools had asked for the resumption of physical classes.
“Permission is being granted for allowing not more than 25 students in each classroom and by complying with the guidelines issued by the government. Hostels are also being allowed for those students,” Mr. Palaniswami said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
The CM has instructed the Health Department to give vitamin and zinc tablets to boost the immunity of all these students. “I request the parents, teachers and the students to cooperate in the precautionary measures being taken by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19,” he appealed.
The decision to reopen schools for classes X and XII was taken based on inputs received from District Collectors, public health and medical experts and senior Ministers last year and also on the opinions received from parents between January 6 and 8 this year.
This is the third time the State government has decided on reopening schools for classes X and XII since the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed affecting normal life since March last year.
In September last year, the government decided to reopen schools for classes X, XI and XII “on a voluntary basis” to seek guidance from their teachers from October 1. However, the decision was eventually deferred until a second decision in October to reopen schools for classes IX, X, XI and XII from November 16. However, just a few days before November 16 the State government announced that schools for classes XI, X, XI and XII would not reopen on the said date after it analysed the feedback from parents. It said a fresh reopening date would be announced after taking the COVID-19 situation into consideration.
