Review to start for reopening of schools in TN after consulting with stakeholders

With slowly the State was limping back to normal from the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Tamil Nadu government has started to look into the possibilities to reopen schools with the consultation of all stakeholders.

Accordingly, all the Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) in all the districts will be asked to submit their suggestions and look into the feasibility of reopening of schools in their respective regions.

As the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that a decision on the reopening of schools would be taken after seeing the COVID-19 pandemic situation and getting feedback from the stakeholders, a senior official from his department said a review meeting involving officials concerned and CEOs will be held on Friday (July 16).

"As it was attempted before, the government is also considering to get feedback from the parents with regard to re-opening of schools and begin physical classes", he said adding "teachers' suggestions will also be taken into consideration in this regard".

Stating that possibility of re-opening of schools might be for the students above the ninth standard, the official said "there were also several requests from the private school associations urging the authorities to allow the institutions to begin classes by following all the standard operating procedures".

However, the official also asserted that the government is not in haste to reopen the schools since its priority is to ensure the safety of the students and teachers even in private institutions.

He said the district education officials were also instructed to conduct periodical inspections of the schools in their respective areas. "In addition, all the teachers especially in the State-run schools were already asked to come to the schools regularly on a rotation basis so that classrooms will be ready to be used", he added.

Tamil Nadu Teachers Association president P K Ilamaran said since the COVID-19 pandemic situation is almost under control the government could reopen the schools perhaps in the last week of July or the first week of August.

"Teaching and learning totally came to a halt for the last one and half years. Though learning online and via 'Kalvi Tholaikatchi' was available, nothing will replace physical classes", he said.

He also suggested that for students from Class nine to Class XII classes could be conducted for five periods and for the students studying in Class one to Class eight, classes could be conducted on a rotation basis by adopting all the safety measures.