HP, Chandigarh announce reopening of schools, colleges and other educational institutions from next month

After witnessing a decline in Covid-19 cases being reported in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government on Friday decided to permit opening of schools from February 1. It also decided to allow all industrial training institutes, polytechnics and engineering colleges to open from the same day.

The decision was taken by the state Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla on Friday.

In the meeting, it was decided that all summer closing schools will start classes from February 1 while classes in the winter closing schools would begin from February 15. Government colleges, however, would begin functioning for regular classes from February 8.

The managements of the institutions have been asked to ensure strict use of face masks, social distancing and use of sanitisers in their respective premises as per the COVID protocol.

The teachers of summer closing government schools would attend schools from January 27 while students of regular classes of Class V and VIII to XII of summer closing schools would be allowed to attend classes from February 1.

However, the online system for education under ‘Har Ghar Pathshala’ would continue. A similar system can be adopted by the private schools in the state.

Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Administration has also allowed government schools to resume classes for students of Classes VI to VIII from February 1, an official spokesperson of the administration said. The students, however, need their parents' authorisation to attend in-person classes, according to the Central government's guidelines.

The administration had already allowed schools to hold classes for classes IX to XII from November 2, 2020.