Schools have been closed in Tamil Nadu for more than seven months since the start of the pandemic.
Chennai:
The government of Tamil Nadu has reversed its decision to reopen schools from November 16 for grades 9 and above, nearly two weeks after announcing the reopening of grades 9 to 12 with coronavirus safety standards.
As in most parts of the country, schools have been closed in Tamil Nadu for more than seven months since the start of the pandemic.
Colleges and universities will start from December 2 only for university researchers and postgraduates in science and technology fields, the government said. They too were to reopen on November 16.
The government said opinion on the reopening of schools was divided after statewide consultations with parents and teachers on Monday. Parents in some schools wanted institutions to reopen, but others were against such a move due to the Covid crisis, the government said.
Tamil Nadu, which has more than 7.5 lakh coronavirus cases, including 11,415 deaths, is the state with the fourth highest number of cases in India.
The state reported 2,184 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths on Wednesday.
Tamil Nadu’s opposition leader, DMK MP Stalin, criticized Chief Minister K Palaniswami for his “hasty” announcement saying that a decision to reopen schools should not be taken until January 2021 after analyzed the situation at the time.
Schools across the country had been closed since March, when the center announced the first step in the nation’s coronavirus lockdown. The central government, the highest executive authority on pandemic issues, recently authorized the reopening of schools with strict safety protocols under its “Unlock5” guidelines.
