Delhi panel to file on Aug 25 report on reopening schools in Capital

Currently, students of classes 10, 11 and 12 in Delhi can visit schools for admission and board-exam related activities

A Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s (DDMA) committee will submit a report on the strategy for reopening schools, colleges and educational institutions to the offices of the chief minister (CM) and Lieutenant Governor (LG) on August 25, based on which the government will take a call in the matter, a senior government official said on Saturday.

A student being screened at a school in Delhi (HT PHOTO)

Currently, students of classes 10, 11 and 12 can visit schools for admission and board-exam related activities.

“The committee will submit its report on August 25,” a senior DDMA official said, wishing not to be identified.

The official said, “In its report, the committee will be chalking out a detailed plan comprising standard operating procedures (SOPs), assessment of the ability of schools to implement such SOPs and plan for vaccination of teachers and staff; and address concerns of parents of the students. A decision on reopening will be taken thereafter.”

On August 6, the DDMA decided to set up a committee, including officials from the education and health departments, to work out a strategy to reopen educational institutes in the city. The committee was set up after deputy CM Manish Sisodia reportedly told the DDMA that at least 90% of the parents who attended the mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) at government schools, held between July 19 and 31, had voted in favour of reopening the schools.

On August 8, the DDMA allowed students of classes 10, 11 and 12 to visit schools for admission and board-exam related activities, in the first round of relaxations issued for educational institutions, which have been shut since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They had briefly reopened for students of higher classes between January and March this year.

The DDMA is chaired by LG Anil Baijal and CM Arvind Kejriwal is its vice-chairperson.

Dr Jacob John, a former head of the clinical virology department at Christian Medical College in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore, said: “The authorities have to plan each step meticulously. Reopening schools and educational institutions should ideally be done in a phased manner. We have to remember that children are yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and the state governments should not only keep demanding that children be vaccinated, but also propose plans to the Central government. Delhi can consider opening senior classes in a few schools in each district and observe trends for a period, say two weeks. They should take further calls based on the observations in each phase. They also must ensure that the entire staff — teachers to administrative officials and bus drivers — are fully vaccinated at least two weeks before schools and colleges open.”