‘Decision at DDMA meeting’: Sisodia on reopening of schools for classes 6 to 8

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in Delhi announced on August 27 that schools will be reopened in a phased manner in Delhi from September 1 onwards. While offline classes for standards 9 to 12 have already begun, those for standards 6 to 8 are scheduled to start tomorrow.

Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday that a decision regarding the reopening of schools for classes 6 to 8 will be taken in the meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Students of classes 6 to 8 are expected to go back to school starting tomorrow (September 8).

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in August said that “Team Education” is ready to reopen schools safely. (ANI Photo)

On August 27, the DDMA decided to reopen schools in a phased manner from September 1 onwards, with classes 9 to 12 resuming first. Coaching centres of students of higher classes have also been permitted to function.

Prior to the resumption of physical classes for the first time since the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic struck in the national capital, the DDMA had laid down several guidelines that students, teachers and other school authorities needed to follow.

Among the protocols were a maximum of 50% of students can be called for each classroom depending upon the capacity and the timetable should be prepared as per occupancy limit of classrooms. Furthermore, the authority also directed educational institutions to stagger lunch breaks to avoid crowding, and said that they should be held in open areas.

The DDMA further directed the setting up of a quarantine room for emergency use and discouraged routine guest visits. However, educational institutions have been asked to not allow students and teachers residing in Covid-19 containment zones to come to the campus.

in August, Sisodia took to Twitter to say that "Team Education" is ready to reopen schools safely. Following the decision by the Delhi government as well as other state governments in Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, among others, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) president, Dr JA Jayalal said that as the possibility of the spread of coronavirus is “quite negligible” at this moment – unless “something catastrophic takes place,” this is the ideal time for governments to take a “calculated risk” and resume physical classes.