The new COVID variant has entered Gujarat but the government is not inclined to shutting down schools.
The number of cases of COVID is constantly rising and more than 35 students across the State have contracted the virus in the last couple of days. Two cases were reported on Wednesday from a school in Ahmedabad.
Despite this situation, the government has kept the option of offline education intact. The government feels that education has really suffered in the last two years and is therefore keen on keeping the offline option of education intact.
The curfew hours have been increased from 1 am to 5 am to 11 pm to 5 am.
Gujarat government reopened schools for senior classes in late July. This was followed by grades VI to VIII in early September. Lastly, classes for grades I to V reopened on November 22.
The government has kept the option of online schooling as well.
Education Secretary, Mr Vinod Rao explained, “For the last 20 months, schools have been shut. We are reopening only now. Only 50 per cent of students are allowed in the class. This too is optional. We have left it to the discretion of the students. There are hundreds of villages and talukas in Gujarat which do not have a single case.”
Recent cases of COVID from the State include that of a class 2 student of Sattva Vikas School in Thaltej, who attended school for half an hour and tested positive. The school has now moved to the online track as a temporary measure to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19. Earlier this month, COVID cases have been reported from Udgam school in Thaltej and Nirma school in Chharodi. The government then announced that offline classes would be halted for a week in these schools.
Another Class 12 student of Maharaja Agrasen school had been attending the online session but the school has alerted his classmates in case of them being in touch with him.
