Sending students to schools is parents' decision: Tamil Nadu government

As the schools in the State are all set to reopen from Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government has urged the parents to send their children to the institutions without fear.

Government, government-aided and self-financing institution schools were allowed to conduct classes for the students studying from the ninth standard to the twelfth standard from September 1.

The School Education Department also made it clear that teachers, who have not been vaccinated, should not come to the schools for taking classes for the students.

"Parents should send their children without any fear. We will ensure the safety of the students, which is our duty", School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said. However, he also said that it was not compulsory for the students to come to the schools amid the fear of pandemic situations.

Stating that it was mandatory for all the teachers to get vaccinated, the Minister said "why should they come to the schools if they were not vaccinated and it is also unsafe".

Pointing out that more than 95% of teachers were innoculated, he said the rest of the teachers should get vaccinated and various vaccination camps have been arranged even in the schools.

A senior official from the School Education Department added that it has been strictly instructed that classes and sections have to be split into batches of not more than 20 students per classroom.

"If transportation facility is being managed by the school, proper physical distancing, sanitization of vehicles should be ensured as per the guidelines issued by Revenue and Disaster Management Department", he said, adding "the school management should also ensure regular counselling is done for students and teachers reporting mental health issues such as anxiety and depression".

The official said that teachers, school counsellors, and school health workers should work in unison to ensure the emotional safety of the students.

Welcoming the government's move to reopen the schools for the students from Class IX to Class XII, Tamil Nadu teachers also urged the School Education Department to reopen the institutions for elementary and middle school students following all safety measures.