Schools in Maharashtra to reopen after Diwali, says CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra CM Uddav Thackeray says that schools to reopen after Diwali for Classes IX to XII. "We are considering to reopen schools after Diwali while taking all precautionary measures. Religious places will also be allowed to open", says Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

CM Uddhav Thackeray chaired a meeting of the School Education Department to re-view the SOP that schools are going to follow while reopening. On Saturday, CM allowed state government/ private schools in the state for Classes 9 to 12, after Diwali festival.

Religious places may re-open after the Diwali festival, CM added. The School education department after chairing a meeting with the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray decided to resume schools from November 23 as the date to resume physical classes.

Earlier in a statement Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said that state Government and Private schools will reopen after Diwali vacations from November 23 onwards. While detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding the re-opening of schools are yet to be released by the school education department.

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RT-PCR test to detect Covid-19 will be conducted for all teachers between November 17 and 22. Only those teachers whose reports come negative will be allowed to conduct Physical classes for stuedents of class 9-12, Gaikwad said. It is also decided that only one child will be made to sit on a single bench and the classes will be held on alternate days.

We have proposed before state govt to restart classes in schools for 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th classes from 23rd Nov. Also, we have proposed that exams of 10th & 12th class should be conducted in May, instead of February or March: Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad pic.twitter.com/NlXxx2SxTT

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2020

Earlier, releasing the Unlock guidelines, Centra left the decision on state governments, on re-opening of schools. Schools in Maharashtra state are closed till March 2020, when orders passed in safety of Covid-19 pandemic.