TN schools to reopen for classes 1 to 8 from November 1; Covid restrictions extended till Oct 31

Schools would be allowed to function for classes 1 to 8 following the standard operating procedures (SOP) from November 1 and the school education department would make the necessary arrangements.

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced that it would allow schools to reopen for classes 1 to 8 beginning from November 1. The decision was taken following a meeting by chief minister MK Stalin along with state officials to control the spread of Covid-19 in the state, the state government said in its order.

Already, students belonging to classes 9 to 12 have been attending schools physically from September 1 in Tamil Nadu. (PTI | Representational image)

Already, students belonging to classes 9 to 12 have been attending schools physically from September 1 in the state.

The government said that the decision has been made considering the suggestions of medical experts, academicians and parents, who said that the students have been subjected to a lot of stress and learning gaps due to the closure of schools in view of the pandemic. It also said that schools would be allowed to function for classes 1 to 8 following the standard operating procedures (SOP) from November 1 and the school education department should make all the necessary arrangements for the same.

Earlier in August, the Tamil Nadu government issued SOP for reopening schools for classes 9 to 12, in which it gave several advisories to the schools such as staggered timetables for classes and 50% attendance. It had also suggested running classes in two shifts in schools where the enrollment is higher and also emphasised on the sanitisation of the premises, wearing facemasks and maintaining social distancing.

Among other major announcements, the government said that the Covid-19 restrictions in place in the state have been extended till 6am on October 31. Also, all district collector offices have been allowed to hear public grievances in their offices on every Monday to avoid people visiting the secretariat in Chennai. The collectors have also been asked to hear the grievances of farmers monthly, following Covid appropriate behaviour.

Meanwhile, the state has already taken measures considering the upcoming festive season. All social, political and cultural events in the state would continue to remain banned. All places of religious worship have been shut for the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and would continue to be so.

The announcement came as the Union home ministry wrote to the states urging them to enforce Covid appropriate behaviour to be followed during the festive season. “With the decline in the COVID-19 cases, there is a possibility that Covid-appropriate behaviour (CAB) is not adhered to strictly, especially during the upcoming festivals. It is therefore critical to enforce adherence to guidelines which allows regular festivities in a cautious, safe and Covid-appropriate manner,” the ministry said.

On Tuesday, 1,630 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu and 17 lost their lives as the state’s tally reached 2,660,553 and the death toll climbed to 35,526, a bulletin from the health department showed. The state also conducted its third mega vaccination camp on Sunday (September 26) and as of 7am on Tuesday has administered 46,408,275 doses of the vaccine to eligible beneficiaries according to the Union health ministry.