79 civic schools in Mumbai yet to start teaching sessions on campus for classes 8-10

Of 867 total civic schools, 788 have reopened their campuses. The remaining schools have not been able to do so either because they house a vax or quarantine centre or because they are under repairs

Ten days after schools in Mumbai reopened for students from classes 8 to 12, 79 civic schools are yet to commence teaching sessions on the school premises, data from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revealed.

Teachers shower flower petals on students at at Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir, Jogeshwari (East), to welcome them as schools in Mumbai reopened after 19 months on October 04. (HT FILE)

Out of a total of 867 municipal schools in Mumbai for classes 8 to 10, 788 have reopened their campuses for students. The remaining schools have not been able to do so either because they house a vaccination or Covid-19 quarantine centre on their premises, or because the major structural repairs to municipal school buildings that the administration undertook during the lockdown months have still not been completed.

Out of the total 71,783 students enrolled in classes 8, 9 and 10 in the 867 municipal schools, 24,023 students attended classes on the school premises on Thursday, while others opted for online classes, data has shown. A senior civic official from BMC’s education department said, “The attendance of students varies. Some students attend schools a few days a week and chose to attend lectures online on other days. We have also given schools the option of conducting lectures on alternate days for different classes. So only class 9 and 10 students may attend on one day, while class 8 students go to school on another, to ensure social distancing.”

Assistant commissioners of the respective wards with jurisdiction over schools where Covid-19 quarantine or vaccination centres are operational have been looking for alternate feasible locations to shift the centres, so that schools can restart.

A deputy municipal commissioner said, “In my zone, we have a large number of slums where schools had vaccination centres on their premises. It is not easy to find alternate locations within the slums. In such cases, we have located open spaces, and are putting up temporary structures there to shift these centres.”

While schools which had vaccination or quarantine centres within their premises may be able to restart lectures by early next week, others – where building maintenance and repair work are ongoing – may take longer to reopen. The official from the education department, quoted above, said, “We have to think of the safety of students first. We have shortlisted some buildings where lectures can start in adjoining classrooms, while repair work goes on in a neighbouring wing, or alternate floor. But some other schools may remain closed for the rest of the month until the repair work is over.”