Tamil Nadu schools to remain shut, govt puts reopening plan on hold

CHENNAI: Days after seeking the views of parents, Tamil Nadu government on Thursday reversed its move to reopen schools from November 16 for Classes 9-12 and said they shall continue to remain closed.

While colleges were also earlier scheduled to function from November 16, the government said colleges and varsities shall reopen from December 2 only for research scholars and final year postgraduate students of science and technology streams.

"The opening of colleges for all other courses will be announced later," the government said in an official release adding hostels would be opened only for those students who shall resume studies from next month.

Disclosing the outcome of state-wide consultations held with parents of private, government and aided schools on November 9 on starting classes for the 2020-21 academic year for higher standards, the government said the opinion was divided.

Parents of some schools wanted the institutions to reopen, but others were against such a move in view of the coronavirus pandemic and the school education department analysed the opinions holistically, the release said.

"The order on reopening schools from November 16 for classes 9-12 is cancelled. An announcement on reopening schools will be made later based on the situation," the government said based on the feedback received from parents.

After Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on October 31 that schools and colleges would be allowed to reopen from November 16, DMK president M K Stalin hit out at the government for its "hasty" announcement.

The leader of the opposition had said that a decision on reopening schools should be taken only in January 2021 after analysing the pandemic scenario. A section of parents also expressed apprehension over starting classes for 9-12 since the pandemic had not faded yet and the extent to which students could adhere to measures against the spread of the virus in schools.

As on November 11, a total of 7,50,409 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu out of which 7,20,339 recovered. While 18,655 was the number of active cases, the death toll stood at 11,415.

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