Uniforms not must when schools reopen in Goa on Feb 21; exams only offline

PANAJI: School uniforms will not be mandatory and concession in timings may be given to students in initial days when physical classes resume for grades 1 to 12 in Goa from February 21 after the coronavirus-induced break, the state government said on Friday.

In a circular, Director of Education Bhushan Savaikar, said timing concession, if required, may be given to students in initial days. The circular said exams should be held in offline mode only and school uniforms should not be insisted upon by authorities.

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The Education Department has ordered the reopening of all schools, including pre-primary ones, from Monday (Feb 21). Savaikar said the decision to reopen the schools has been taken in view of a downward trend in COVID-19 cases in the state.

School reopening order was issued by the Director of Education Bhushan Sawaikar. "As COVID-19 cases are reducing day by day in the state, it is decided by the competent authority to reopen all the educational institutions from standard first to standard twelfth with effect from February 21, 2022, by following COVID-19- appropriate behaviour and as per SOP guidelines,” Sawaikar said.

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Colleges in the state have not reopened yet. They are likely to reopen in March, as per a report by the Times of India . But the colleges have begun conducting exams in offline mode for final-year students, the report said.

(with inputs from PTI)