MUMBAI: Even though the Maharashtra school and education department has decided to reopen the schools and colleges from Monday, the local authorities in fear of rising of Covid-19 positive cases are reluctant to give permission. Besides, the parents are not also ready to send their children to schools.
Anticipating a second wave of Covid-19 infections in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday announced that all schools in the city will remain shut till December 31. Schools will be shut till the end of the year in neighbouring Thane as well.
Schools and junior colleges were earlier scheduled to reopen for students from classes IX to XII on November 23. The BMC said that in the meantime, it will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for functioning of schools and other crucial things like Covid-19 testing of teachers and sanitising the premises.
On November 6, the Maharashtra government had announced that it was planning to reopen schools in the state for students from classes IX to XII on November 23. Several schools in the city, including private and those run by the government, had started preparations to resume classes from Monday. Maharashtra on Saturday reported 5,760 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 17,74,455.