The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday, 30 September, announced that it has decided to keep schools in the state closed throughout the month of October and reopen them from 2 November.
The state government had earlier decided to reopen schools on 5 October but decided against it after a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government has also decided to introduce English as a medium of instruction in lower classes so that students get well versed in the language.
Staggered timings, regular sanitisation and compulsory masks will be followed as students return to school after a gap of almost seven months. They will, however, have to take consent from parents before they resume their visit to schools.
According to the new guidelines, students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the Containment Zones only, on voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)