GUWAHATI: Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that a task force comprising educationists and intellectuals would review suggestions and views from people before taking a call on reopening schools in the state.
“We are gearing up to reopen schools from September 1, 2020 and our teachers have also started undergoing COVID-19 tests. Various suggestions/opinions in this regard have been received from people and these views/comments/suggestions would be reviewed by the task force of the education department on August 25 and 26 and a decision would subsequently be taken,” Sarma told reporters here.
It may be mentioned that all schools in the state have been shut since March 2020 in view of outbreak of COVID-19. Subsequently, many schools had taken resort to online classes, particularly in the urban areas.
The education department had earlier directed all teachers from the university to the primary level to undergo mandatory COVID tests between August 21 and 30, 2020 before joining their respective institutions (with a COVID negative report) on September 1, 2020.
The education minister further said that all government teachers have been asked to be prepared to attend schools from September 1, 2020 after undergoing the COVID tests.
The department has also been readying the standard operating protocols (SOPs) for reopening schools in the state even as a final approval regarding the date of resumption of classes was awaited from the central government.
On August 1, Sarma had said that the state was contemplating reopening schools and colleges from September 1, 2020, pending the Centre’s approval.
The education minister had in a media conference earlier revealed that about 10 lakh students in the state have been covered so far through the online medium of imparting classes even as that there was a digital divide, prompting the department to contemplate feasibility of reopening schools and colleges as early as possible.
