New Delhi: Nearly half a dozen states too have decided to reopen schools on September 1 as the daily COVID-19 cases have been showing a downward trend. Students in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Assam and Madhya Pradesh would return to schools in the coming weeks.

The onsite classes would begin with 50% students in attendance. The state governments have ensured that the teachers and the school employees are fully vaccinated.

Classes have already in full swing in schools in states like Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

How early school openers fare
In some states, including Uttar Pradesh, classes are now being conducted in two shifts, in the morning and the afternoon sessions. Meanwhile, states like Rajasthan have decided to hold classes for six days per week, with 50% students in attendance in each class. Online sessions too would continue in these states.

In Delhi, classes would resume for students of standards 9 to 12. Colleges and other higher educational institutions too would reopen on September 1. Meanwhile, onsite classes for standards 6 to 8 will begin from September 8.

Even though the government has given permission to reopen, many universities including Delhi University hasn’t taken a decision yet.

In Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu too, schools will reopen on September 1. Students of classes 9 to 12 will have onsite classes. Except the first years, academics would resume for the rest of the students in colleges as well.Students from Kerala must produce a negative RTPCR certificate taken within three days prior to the visit and vaccination certificate their classes.

In Karnataka
In Karnataka classes would begin for standards 6 to 8 on September 6 in those districts where the Total Positivity Rate (TPR) is below 2. Here, onsite classes had begun for standards 9 to 12 from August 23 onwards. Students have been returning to colleges too to attend offline classes. All students except those persuing nursing, engineering, medical and paramedical courses should undergo a mandatory seven day institutional quarentine and a RTPCR test after this period.

In Maharashtra
Schools have reopened in the rural areas of Maharashtra where the number of daily cases have been low.