<p>After remaining shut for over nine months due to the coronavirus outbreak, schools for classes 10 and 12 and colleges for final year graduation and post-graduation students reopened in Gujarat on Monday.</p>.<p>Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing is a must for students, teachers and other staff members, and everyone entering the schools and colleges is being checked using thermal guns, state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told reporters.</p>.<p>Various state ministers and BJP MLAs remained present at different schools in Gujarat to welcome the students, a release from the state government said.</p>.<p>Chudasama welcomed students at a school in Kalol town of Gandhinagar, while Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja was present at a school in Vastral area of Ahmedabad to greet students.</p>.<p>"There is great enthusiasm among students as schools and colleges are reopening after a long Covid-19 vacation. Apart from reopening colleges for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students, we have decided to open schools for classes 10 and 12 because of the upcoming board exams," Chudasama said.</p>.<p>Managements of schools have already been instructed to strictly follow Centre's standard operating procedures to check the spread of Covid-19, he said.</p>.<p>Following a significant drop in the number of new Covid-19 cases being reported daily, the state cabinet last week decided to reopen schools for Classes 10 and 12, and colleges for the final year graduation and PG students.</p>.<p>It was also announced that students attending schools must get the consent of their parents.</p>.<p>The government had also made it clear that attendance will not be mandatory and online classes will continue.</p>.<p>Schools, colleges and university campuses across the state were shut after the outbreak of coronavirus in the state in March-end last year.</p>.<p>Since then, classes are being held online.</p>.<p>Though the government had earlier decided to reopen secondary schools and colleges after the Diwali vacation last year, it eventually dropped the idea following a sudden spike in the daily coronavirus cases at that time.</p>.<p>Later, the number of new cases being reported daily started declining from mid-December.</p>.<p>As against 1,500 to 1,600 cases emerging in a day in October and November last year, around 700 cases are getting registered daily at present.</p>
<p>After remaining shut for over nine months due to the coronavirus outbreak, schools for classes 10 and 12 and colleges for final year graduation and post-graduation students reopened in Gujarat on Monday.</p>.<p>Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing is a must for students, teachers and other staff members, and everyone entering the schools and colleges is being checked using thermal guns, state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told reporters.</p>.<p>Various state ministers and BJP MLAs remained present at different schools in Gujarat to welcome the students, a release from the state government said.</p>.<p>Chudasama welcomed students at a school in Kalol town of Gandhinagar, while Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja was present at a school in Vastral area of Ahmedabad to greet students.</p>.<p>"There is great enthusiasm among students as schools and colleges are reopening after a long Covid-19 vacation. Apart from reopening colleges for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students, we have decided to open schools for classes 10 and 12 because of the upcoming board exams," Chudasama said.</p>.<p>Managements of schools have already been instructed to strictly follow Centre's standard operating procedures to check the spread of Covid-19, he said.</p>.<p>Following a significant drop in the number of new Covid-19 cases being reported daily, the state cabinet last week decided to reopen schools for Classes 10 and 12, and colleges for the final year graduation and PG students.</p>.<p>It was also announced that students attending schools must get the consent of their parents.</p>.<p>The government had also made it clear that attendance will not be mandatory and online classes will continue.</p>.<p>Schools, colleges and university campuses across the state were shut after the outbreak of coronavirus in the state in March-end last year.</p>.<p>Since then, classes are being held online.</p>.<p>Though the government had earlier decided to reopen secondary schools and colleges after the Diwali vacation last year, it eventually dropped the idea following a sudden spike in the daily coronavirus cases at that time.</p>.<p>Later, the number of new cases being reported daily started declining from mid-December.</p>.<p>As against 1,500 to 1,600 cases emerging in a day in October and November last year, around 700 cases are getting registered daily at present.</p>