Secondary and higher secondary schools, colleges and universities in Gujarat will reopen from November 23.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar.
Schools and colleges have been closed since March due to COVID-19.
Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said that the decision was taken after detailed deliberations with the stakeholders. He said that odd-even system has been suggested to the schools and they have been asked to allot three days in a week to each class.
The state government has said that presence of students is not compulsory and permissions of the parents will be taken whether the child would want to attend the school or not.
The decision on reopening schools for grades I to VIII will be taken at a later stage.
The state government has said that temperature of each student will be checked by thermal gun, daily.
The reopening of educational institutions, however, raises grave health concerns. Dr Mona Desai, national chairperson of all women doctors’ wing of Indian Medical Association, told THE WEEK that the state government should wait till COVID-19 peak is over.
She said that there is a huge possibility of large spurt in the already increasing cases if schools and colleges are reopened.
Dr Desai said that while it is good that only older children have to go to school, it will be very difficult to maintain social distancing and follow SOPs. If it is very necessary to reopen schools, it should be opened only for grades in which there is board examination.
The doctor’s fears are not misplaced. Gujarat recorded 1,125 new cases in the last 24 hours that ended on Wednesday at 5 pm. With this, the total number of cases has gone up to 1,83,844. The death toll in the state stands at 3,779.
