While stressing a smooth transition from online to classroom learning through bridge courses, the Union Government on Thursday asked state governments to decide on their own ‘whether to open the school or not’ and also ‘whether parental consent is required or not for physical classes’.
In the revised guidelines, the Centre allowed all the states and Union Territories to decide whether parental consent is required by schools to carry on physical classes.
“State and UT governments may decide at their level whether their schools are required to take the consent of the parents of the students attending the physical classes,” the guidelines stated. So far, parental consent was mandatory for children to attend schools, however, after the issuance of new guidelines, it is for the state governments to take the final call on reopening of schools and colleges.
The revised guidelines also focused on a smooth transition from online to classroom learning through bridge courses, focusing on students who need extra interventions and implementing remedial programmes.
The Centre told states to revise and modify guidelines as per the situation and make standard operating procedures (SoPs) at the time of reopening their schools.
As Covid cases continue to decline, schools, colleges in several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana were reopened from February 1, while in West Bengal, the schools, colleges were reopened from February 3.
The schools, colleges in Uttar Pradesh will reopen from February 6, while the decision on schools reopening in Delhi would be taken by DDMA on Friday, February 4.