VIJAYAWADA: Schools will reopen on November 2, the State government announced on Tuesday. It had earlier said the academic year would begin from October 5, but decided to postpone the starting date due to the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the government will go ahead with Jagananna Vidya Kanuka on October 5.
Speaking during the Spandana videoconference here on Tuesday, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the reopening of schools will be postponed keeping in view the number of Covid-19 cases in the State.
“Though we haven’t received guidelines for the next phase of ‘unlock’ from the Centre, it looks highly unlikely that schools will be permitted to start regular classes. The Chief Minister has instructed schools to postpone resumption of classes to November 2,” Education Minister Audimulapu Suresh said.
He added that if the Centre lets the State government decide on reopening schools in a phased manner, “we are prepared to start regular classes for senior students, whose doubt-solving classes are already on. We can gradually start regular classes for junior students too.”
Though regular classes will not resume till November 2, the students’ kits will be distributed on October 5 as scheduled under the Vidya Kanuka scheme. Each kit consists of cloth for three pairs of uniform, textbooks, notebooks, a pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt and a school bag.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister directed officials to focus on completing the first phase of Nadu Nedu at the earliest. In the first phase, 15,715 schools were identified for 10 facilities to be provided. Of these 15,715 schools, work is on at 15,562, while it is yet to begin in the remaining 153 schools. Officials said slab work has to be done in 701 toilets. Joint Collectors were told to monitor the work on a daily basis.
With regard to Anganwadi centres, as 27,564 of them are being operated in rented spaces, officials were told to shift them. So far, land has been identified for 14,738 centres.