Detailed action plan to be devised to reopen Kerala schools on November 1

Kerala State Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday informed that a detailed action plan for reopening schools would be chalked out after discussions with concerned departments. Deliberations with various departments are ongoing to ensure student safety, he added.

"A detailed plan ensuring the safety of the children will be drawn up after holding discussions at the state and district level with health officials and the district collectors and submitted before the Chief Minister by October 15," Sivankutty said. He added that the plan would involve ensuring masks, maintaining social distancing and guidelines for vehicles transporting students to school.

The Kerala government decided to reopen schools on November 1 at the COVID-19 evaluation meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan conducted on Saturday. Schools have been shut since March last year owing to the onset of the pandemic.

"The chief minister has directed the authorities to complete the necessary requirements to reopen the schools at least 15 days in advance. The classes for standards 1 to 7 (primary section) and 10 and 12 will begin from November 1. From November 15 all other classes will resume," a release issued by the Chief Minister's office had said.