Aug, Sep or Oct? MHRD Seeks Parents’ Opinion on Reopening Schools

The Delhi Parents Association has asked MHRD not to reopen schools till a vaccine is released.

Where schools can’t reopen, students above the third grade will be given online classes.

(Photo: PTI)

August, September or October? When should schools across the country open their doors to students? This is exactly the information that the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has sought from states by Monday, 20 July 2020.

In a letter sent by the Department of School Education and Literacy, which is a part of the HRD Ministry, states and union territories have been asked to record responses from parents of school-going children to the following questions:

• August, September or October? Which is the period of school-opening that parents are comfortable with?
• What are the expectations of parents from schools, when they reopen?

As part of its unlock guidelines, the Home Ministry had said that schools, colleges and educational institutions in the state would be shut till 31 July.

No School Till COVID-19 Vaccine is Released: DPA

Meanwhile, the Delhi Parents Association has written to Union Human Resource Development Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal, asking him to not reopen schools for the academic session 2020-21, till a vaccine for COVID-19 is released.

“Schools should not be opened till a vaccine is released or till there are no cases reported for a long time. Additionally, in AC 2020-21, students upto Class 8 should be promoted to the next class under RTE act and exams for remaining classes, including boards, could be conducted online.”

Aparajita Gautam, President, Delhi Parents Association

Gautam also claimed that although schools were asked to reach out to parents for their responses by Monday, 20 July, the DPA had received no such notification from the Delhi government.