Maharashtra schools to reopen from August 17 onwards. The state government has issued SOPs to be followed by schools and students regarding reopening.
The government of Maharashtra has decided to reopen state schools from August 17, 2021. The state government will reopen schools in areas where coronavirus cases are under control and they will be able to restart physical classes. Standard operating procedures have been published by the government for physical classes.
Schools will resume from next week for grades 5 to 12 in rural areas and for grades 8 to 12 in urban areas. All schools, teaching and non-teaching staff, and students will be required to follow SOPs issued by the state government.
In accordance with the SOPs, for the safety of staff and students, vaccination has been made mandatory for teachers / staff. We have also formed a collector / commissioner-led task force to monitor the resumption and safe operation of schools, said State Minister of School Education, Varsha Gaikwad.
School attendance standards have been relaxed and students will need parental consent to attend schools after the reopening. The decision, however, was taken by the state government after 81% of parents polled by SCERT Maharashtra said they wanted schools to reopen.Meanwhile, municipal commissioners in Mumbai, Thane and collectors from the 11 districts where restrictions persist have been empowered to access the risk locally and decide on the reopening of schools in their jurisdiction.
