BHUBANESWAR: The declining Covid-19 graph notwithstanding, the State government on Friday said that it will monitor the situation for some more days to decide on reopening schools. School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said that the government has not taken any decision yet on school reopening. “As Covid situation is yet to normalise, focus is on online education”, Dash said and added that the department is closely monitoring the situation.
Schools in Maharashtra, which was worst hit by Covid, reopened for Class I to 12 students on January 24 while, Haryana government has also decided to hold physical classes for the students of Class 10 to 12 from February 1 onwards. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where schools have been closed till January 30 and February 6 respectively, may also take decisions regarding school reopening soon.But pressure is mounting on the State government for reopening of schools and colleges. Members of Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangh, a State-level parents’ body, on Friday demanded commencement of classes in offline mode for Class VIII to Plus II as well as UG and PG students across the State from the beginning of February.
The Mahasangh sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the reopening of schools and colleges.Mahasangh chairperson Basudev Bhatt said that education of over 80 per cent students has been hampered after closure of educational institutions in the State due to lack of access to internet and digital platforms. As most of the students have not been able to attend online classes, government should conduct classes in physical mode for at least three months and hold the exams after that, he suggested.