Over 300 schools in rural Chandrapur, Amravati reopen

CHANDRAPUR/AMRAVATI: More than 300 schools reopened in rural areas of Chandrapur and Amravati districts on Thursday as students flocked to their secondary and higher secondary classes with renewed enthusiasm.
Over 150 schools in the gram panchayat areas free of Covid-19 infection resumed in Chandrapur district. More than 5,600 students from Std VIII to XII attended classes on the first day of their school reopening, said education officer Ullhas Narad.
“Students have responded positively to the reopening of schools. They were welcomed by the teachers and classes were held with Covid precautions. More schools are likely to reopen in the coming days as the formalities related to reopening at gram panchayat level have been completed,” Narad told TOI.
In all, 617 schools have secondary and higher secondary education under zilla parishad (ZP) in the district, with a collective strength of 1,54,683 students. Out of these, 5,614 students attended their classes on the first day, Narad said.
He added that 296 schools are currently eligible for reopening, based on the criterion of not having any Covid patients in gram panchayat area for a month or more.
“Preparations for reopening of other schools are underway and many of them would be holding physical classes in the coming days. With Covid figures remaining low, more gram panchayat-level schools are likely to attain the eligibility criterion,” Narad said.
A least four major English medium schools, located in the outskirts of Chandrapur in gram panchayat areas and having nearly entire strength of students from Chandrapur city, are also mulling reopening. Narad said that if their respective gram panchayats allow them, they can reopen the school, but they will have to strictly follow the government guidelines regarding Covid safety.
Meanwhile, schools in rural Amravati were abuzz with students as classes for Std VIII to Std. XII students started at 182 of them on Thursday. ZP education officer EZ Khan said, “We have 748 schools in the district and 337 of them proposed to start classes. Out of these 337 schools, 182 started classes from today.”
The decision to reopen schools was taken at the gram panchayat level after the villages concerned became Covid free.
Khan said that nine schools in Amravati taluka, seven in Bhatkuli, 19 in Daryapur, 14 in Anjangaon Surji, 13 in Achalpur, four in Chandur Bazar, 17 in Chikhaldara, 23 in Walrus, 24 in Dharni, seven each in Nandgaon Khandeshwar, Chandur Railway and Teosa, 10 in Dhamangaon Railway and 21 in Morshi tehsil started from today.
Instructions have been given to the schools regarding Covid protocol, Khan added.