FAQ: Which States Have Reopened Schools in January 2021?

From Maharashtra to Odisha, here’s a look at states which have reopened schools have reopened for physical classes.

There’s still no clarity on when schools in Delhi and Bengal will be reopened. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Pinning their hopes on a speedy rollout of vaccines against coronavirus in India, schools in a number of states have opened in the first week of January 2021, while a few others have decided to follow suit in the next couple of days.

Here’s a look at which states have decided to open schools in January along with states that have still not decided on how and when schools would be reopened.

Delhi: Schools in Delhi have been shut since the lockdown was announced in March. After Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said that the government is ‘brainstorming’ how schools can be opened, especially for board classes, the Delhi government on 13 January announced that aided/unaided schools may call students of Class 10 and 12 in order to conduct activities pertaining to pre-board preparation and practical work from 18 January after consent of the parents.

“While the records of children coming to school be maintained, the same should not be used for attendance purpose as sending the child to school is completely optional for parents,” the Delhi government said in a notification.

Tamil Nadu: The state government has reopened schools for students of Class 10 and 12 from 19 January and not more than 25 students are allowed per classroom. The state health department has also been instructed to provide vitamin and zinc tablets to all students to boost their immunity.

Moreover, the government is mulling over the option of reopening schools for classes 9 and 11 and a decision of the same will be taken by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami soon.

Maharashtra: While schools in the urban areas of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune, which come under their respective municipal corporations, have not been reopened for any class, those in the rural parts have reopened for Classes 5 to 8 from Wednesday, 27 January.

Moreover, the state’s education minister Varsha Gaikwad has said that the government is considering holding HSC and SSC board exams from 15 April and 1 May respectively. 

Earlier, schools for Classes 9 to 12 were reopened across the state from 23 November.

Punjab: All schools in the state have been allowed to reopen for Classes 3 and 4 from Wednesday, 27 January, while students enrolled between Classes 1 to 2 have been permitted to attend physical classes from 1 February.

Earlier, the state government had decided to reopen schools for Classes 5 to 12 from 7 January. Schools were asked to follow a 10 am to 3 pm schedule and have been asked to strictly follow all COVID-related health protocols.

Karnataka: Around 50 teachers tested positive for coronavirus in the state after schools in Karnataka reopened from 1 January for Class 10 and 12 students. Consequently, affected schools in Belagavi, Chitradurga, Vijayapura and Chikkamagaluru districts have been shut temporarily. A month later, the Karnataka government has decided that schooling for students of classes 9 and 11 will resume starting from 1 February. This decision was announced by Education Minister S Suresh Kumar after Health Minister Dr Sudhakar held a meeting with the Technical Advisory Committee on 28 January appointed by the state government.

Bihar: After remaining shut for almost nine months, schools in Bihar have reopened for Classes 9 to 12 with only 50 percent capacity. While wearing of masks and social distancing is compulsory, morning assembly sessions and game periods have been removed to avoid the spread of infection.

Assam: After reopening schools for Class 6 and above in November, schools in Assam have reopened their doors for students from nursery to Class 5 from 1 January 2021. While Classes 8, 10 and 11 have been asked to attend classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Classes 6, 7, 9 and 12 have been asked to come to school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Rajasthan: Schools in the desert state have reopened from 18 January for Classes 9 to 12 with only 50 percent capacity.

Odisha: The eastern state has reopened schools for students between class 10 and 12 from 8 January. According to guidelines issued by Odisha, classes have been divided into groups and temperature screening, hand sanitisation and marks have been made compulsory.

What About Schools in Bengal?

While schools in the states mentioned above chose the new year to reopen their gates for students, those studying in West Bengal haven’t been as lucky.

West Bengal: The state’s education department has sent a note to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggesting that schools in the state be reopened from February. The note says that all schools have already sanitised their premises and have already chalked out a SOP from bringing back students of board classes in the first phase.

Earlier, the state’s education Minister Partha Chatterjee had said that Class 10 and 12 board examinations conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education will be held in June.