‘Thinking about it’: Karnataka minister on reopening schools for primary classes

Karnataka government has already allowed the reopening of schools for students from classes 9 to 12 on August 23.

Karnataka schools reopened for students of classes 6 to 8 on Monday in areas where the Covid-19 positivity rate is below 2 per cent. Karnataka primary and secondary education minister BC Nagesh said that the government decided to reopen schools after approval from the state's technical advisory committee on Covid-19. "We are thinking about reopening schools for primary classes," Nagesh said according to news agency ANI as he interacted with students of Karnataka public school as physical classes resumed.

Karnataka government has allowed the reopening of schools for children of classes 6 to 8.  (PTI Photo)

Nagesh said in a response to a question that the government will take a decision on reopening schools for students of classes 1 to 5 after consulting the technical advisory committee. However, he did not specify any timeline. The government has already allowed the reopening of schools for students from classes 9 to 12 since August 23.

Nagesh said many parents and students urged him to reopen schools as he visited several parts of the state. He said the government and district administrations have been working together with the department for the safe conduct of classes.

"The department had an intention of reopening schools for some time now and teachers were also ready for it, but keeping in mind the health of the students along with education and concerns of the parents, we discussed with the technical advisory committee and after taking the opinion of expert paediatricians, we are reopening schools for classes 6,7 and 8," he told reporters.

It is mandatory for students to submit a consent letter from their parents to attend offline classes and these classes are not compulsory, as there is a provision of online classes also. The government has said that offline classes for students of classes 6 to 8 will be held on alternate days, each with 50 per cent attendance. They will be held on five days a week and school authorities will sanitise and put in other Covid control measures over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has allowed five-day Ganesha festival celebrations from September 10 in districts where the Covid-19 test positivity rate is below two per cent. However, cultural events and processions while bringing the idol to the pooja pandal or during immersion have been prohibited.

The state health department said in its daily bulletin on Sunday that there are 17,501 active cases of Covid-19 in Karnataka after 1,117 more people tested positive for the disease. The bulletin also said that the death toll rose to 37409 as eight more people succumbed to Covid-19. The positivity and case fatality rate both stood at 0.71%, the bulletin also showed.