The Punjab government on Monday, 12 October, announced that it will be reopening schools and coaching institutions from 15 October in a graded manner, reported the Press Trust of India.
Classes 9-12 will be permitted to attend schools with parents’ consent, and attendance will not be made compulsory. Online classes will remain the preferred mode of teaching and will be encouraged throughout the state.
According to the state education department, higher education institutions will only be open for research scholars and post-graduate students in science and technology stream for laboratory work. These institutes will also be permitted to open only after 15 October.
States like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka are following suit of Punjab and are likely to reopen schools from 15 October, in a phased manner.
However, Maharashtra, the state with the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the country, has decided to keep schools closed in the state till at least the festival of Diwali.
The Centre has asserted that students should not be forced to attend classes, and those who choose to not go should be able to attend lectures online. According to the guidelines, schools should not conduct assessments for at least two-three weeks after reopening. Proper pen-and-paper tests will be discouraged to "ensure emotional well-being of students”.
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