Rajasthan allows reopening of schools for Classes 9-12 from September 1

New Delhi: Keeping in mind the declining COVID-19 cases, the Rajasthan government on Thursday (August 12) allowed reopening of schools for Classes 9-12 with 50 per cent capacity from September 1. 

Issuing a notification, the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government made it mandatory for teaching as well as non-teaching staff to be vaccinated with at least one anti-COVID jab, 14 days prior to resuming physical classes. 

Government of Rajasthan allows re-opening of schools from class 9-12 with 50% capacity, from 1st September 2021; teaching & non-teaching staff need to mandatorily have taken at least one dose of #COVID19 vaccine 14 days prior to this. pic.twitter.com/V9f90BzB25 — ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

The official statement added that online classes will continue and promoted. The online classes will continue for standards 1-8 until further instructions, it added. Before resuming physical classes, permission of parents to send children to schools will be mandatory, the order added.

The schools authorities will have to ensure students and staff wear masks and adhere to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. The canteens inside the school premises will continue to remain closed, the order said. 

The decision to reopen schools comes on the day when 17 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, pushing the caseload count to 9,53,887, according to an official report. No fatality was reported on Thursday, thus the death toll stood at 8,954 in Rajasthan, PTI cited the report.

Many states have reopened or decided to reopen schools with a dip in coronavirus cases. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu have permitted schools to reopen in the coming days, while physical classes in Bihar, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Haryana have already resumed. However, Himachal Pradesh government has shut schools, except for residential ones, till August 22. The government had reopened schools for Classes 10, 11 and 12 earlier. The Maharashtra government is also likely to defer the reopening of schools due to threat of third coronavirus wave. 

(With agency inputs)