School reopening: Minister assures parents of children's safety

A day before the reopening of schools and colleges for grades 10 and 12 in the state, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar sought to assure the parents of the safety of their wards.

The schools/colleges in the state will reopen for grades 10 and 12 on Friday. Also, the classes for the 6th to 9th grades will resume under the Vidyagama programme.

“They are not just your children, they are our children too. We will take utmost care of the children at the schools and I want to reassure parents that the schools will be as safe as homes,” said Suresh Kumar.

He urged the parents not to send children if they have a cold, cough, or fever-like symptoms. “Along with academics of children, their health is also very important. So parents also should keep an eye on the health of their wards and avoid sending them if there are any symptoms,” he said.

“The classrooms have already been sanitised and the same will continue every evening after the classes,” added the minister.

Meanwhile, the minister has directed the school authorities to assign one teacher to observe the health of the children. Children with Covid-like symptoms should be isolated in a separate room for a further health examination.

The schools are reopening with coordination between several departments including Primary and Secondary Education, Transport, Health and Family Welfare, Rural Development, Revenue and Urban Development.

Meanwhile, the reopening of schools for grades 9 and 11 will be decided after January 15, in consultation with Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee.