Stakeholders in the education sector that includes parents of students facing board exams, want schools to reopen, according to department officials. The commissioner of public instruction submitted a report to the principal secretary of the primary and secondary education department on the reopening of schools. The department will consult with RTE students’ parents association as well, which will be added to the report.

An education department official said, “Almost all stakeholders, especially parents of students in classes 10 and 12, are extremely worried about schools continuing to remain closed.”

He added, “Board exams are nearing and reopening is inevitable, they feel. Parents say other states have reopened schools and our students need these board exam marks to appear for competitive exams which their peers from other states take.”

According to the official, parents say the government cannot scrap exams and exams cannot take place without classes. The official said, “School Development Monitoring Committees were vocal about it. They say that ‘except schools everything is open. What’s the point in keeping schools closed.”

“However, we need to look at the reality and have suggested workable solutions,” the official added.

Private school managements told the commissioner that they are prepared to reopen for higher classes and follow standard operating procedure issued by the Centre, provided their demands are met.

“We suggested a shift system, alternate days or an option of regular and online classes,” said D Shashi Kumar, secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka. He added, “We proposed only three hours of classes in the first month. We have also sought free Covid testing for teachers and students and the government should take responsibility of the situation.”

Source: Times of India

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