Schools in UP to reopen for higher classes on August 16 with 50% capacity

The state government has also issued instructions for the commencement of classes in colleges and universities from September 1 onwards.

Schools in Uttar Pradesh will resume physical classes for 9 to 12 with 50% attendance on August 16. The admission process of secondary level schools where students were promoted to the next level, may also start now, an official order issued by the state government stated.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also asked the process of admission of students at colleges and universities to start from August 5 onwards.

In a review meeting held by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Covid-19 on Monday, directives were issued to make necessary arrangements for reopening of educational institutions across the state. These were issued in view of a reduced number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the state. In a statement, the UP government also issued instructions to commence classes for higher educational institutes such as colleges and universities from September 1 onwards.

Adityanath also said that as all the boards, including the CBSE, UP Board and CISCE have declared class 12 results, universities and colleges may now commence the admission procedure for undergraduate courses from August 5 onwards.

Ahead of resuming physical classes, the educational institutions have been asked to make all possible arrangements for adhering to Covid-19 norms such as availability of sanitisers, infrared thermometers, and masks, among others, to contain the spread of virus among the students, teachers and staff.

The state government has further ordered ramping up of vaccination drives among all citizens above 18 since educational institutions have now been permitted to resume offline classes. The state health department officials have been to look into the vaccination and ensure all arrangements are made for the same.

This comes after schools for all classes resumed in Punjab on Monday in view of declining coronavirus cases in the state. Notably, Punjab government had on Saturday announced its decision to allow reopening of schools amid further relaxation of Covid-19 curbs in the state.

Apart from Punjab, schools for classes 9 to 12 also reopened in Uttarakhand on Monday, while classes 6 to 8 will resume on August 16. Schools in Himachal Pradesh for classes 10 to 12 also reopened on Monday. Higher secondary classes along with colleges and universities resumed in Chhattisgarh as well on Monday.