Bengaluru: ‘Schools to reopen from January 1’ - Chief minister Yediyurappa

Bengaluru, Dec 19: The suspense over the reopening of classes, suspended due to COVID 19 pandemic, has been resolved at last. The high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, which was held in Bengaluru on Saturday has decided to reopen the 10th Standard and Second Year Pre-University classes from the beginning of the New Year 2021. Simultaneously, the classes for 6th to 9th Standards will be held under the Vidyagama programme.

2021ರ ಜನವರಿ 1 ರಿಂದ, 10ನೇ ತರಗತಿ ಮತ್ತು ದ್ವಿತೀಯ ಪಿಯುಸಿ ತರಗತಿ ಹಾಗೂ 6 ರಿಂದ 9ನೇ ತರಗತಿಗೆ ವಿದ್ಯಾಗಮ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭ; ಹದಿನೈದು ದಿನಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಅವಲೋಕಿಸಿ ಇತರ ತರಗತಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸುವ ಕುರಿತು ನಿರ್ಧಾರ. ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSYBJP ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯ ಇಂದಿನ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೀರ್ಮಾನ.

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 19, 2020

After the reopening of these classes for Standard 10 and II PUC as well as classes for standards 6 to 9 under Vidyagama programme from January 1, the State Government has decided to review the situation in a fortnight and take a decision on conduct all other regular classes. Students participating in the Vidyagama programme will have to physically attend schools twice a week as per the decision. The decision was taken at a meeting held in the Chief Minister’s Home Office, Krishna, which was also attended by Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, Medical Education as well as Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Additional Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, Education Department Principal Secretary S Umashankar and heads of all other departments concerned with Education. The Chief Minister directed that all precautionary measures and protocols pertaining to Corona pandemic must be scrupulously followed. Students attending schools for the Vidyagama programme must compulsorily bring permission letters from their parents or guardians as per the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Committee. The permission letter must also certify that the students were free from COVID 19 pandemic symptoms. Students of residential schools and those staying in hostels must compulsorily test for COVID 19 pandemic and produce negative test reports 72 hours before joining. The meeting decided that attendance in schools and colleges shall not be compulsory for this year. Students are free to get learning through online, YouTube channels and other modes. In a major decision, the high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister also decided that that schools and colleges must take precautions to disinfect all classrooms and that classes shall be held only for half a day. Each class shall have a maximum of 15 students. The mid-day meals will not be supplied and instead food grains will be distributed as per the revised norms. The meeting decided that the schools and colleges must strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Education Department.