Delhi schools to re-open tomorrow for classes 9, 11

New Delhi, Feb 04: Schools in the national capital will reopen tomorrow, February 5, for classes 9 and 11, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia had announced previously.

This will be the second phase of schools reopening in Delhi as the government had resumed schools for classes 10, 12, on January 18, to prepare students for the upcoming CBSE board exams.

Mr Sisodia had also said that the government will resume classes at colleges offering degree and diploma courses.

Education institutes will have to follow COVID-19 protocols when they call students back. They will have to ensure that students, teachers maintain social distancing inside campuses and wear face masks.

Schools and colleges will have to provide sanitizers for students and students attending physical classes will be subject to written consent from their parents.

When classes resume, attendance will not be mandatory, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a press conference.

Mr Sisodia said, "We will not call all the students at once. We will only call the students with prior permission of their parents."

The minister said that while it will not be possible to compensate for the loss caused by the pandemic, resuming classes is aimed at helping students prepare better for their practical and internal assessments.

"It is important to guide and counsel the students, so that they are better prepared for the exams... our primary focus is to reopen the schools and ensure safety for every child. All the concerned authorities are directed to ensure safety in school premises," Mr Sisodia had said, adding that proper preparedness after schools reopening for classes 10, 12 had reassured parents of their children's safety, and 80% of the total number of students allowed to attend school at one time were reported to be coming for classes in both private and government schools.

Mr Sisodia further said that the Delhi government will be soon releasing tentative dates for the exams and projects for classes 9,11.