Lok Sabha Question No. 3296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-09
Subject: Re-opening of Schools
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3296 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2021

## Re-opening of Schools

## 3296.    DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  in  agreement  with  ICMR's  suggestion  to  reopen  schools, particularly  primary  schools,  since  57.2  per  cent  of  children  between  the  ages  of  6-9 already have considerable antibodies based on recent sero-surveys;
- (b) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) if so, whether the Government has issued indicative timelines based on various parameters and  conditions  required  to  be  followed  by  the  States  at  the  district  level  to  facilitate reopening;
- (d) if so, the expected date of re-opening of schools; and
- (e) whether  various  experts  have  raised  serious  concerns  regarding  the  adverse  impact  that prolonged  school  closures  on  the  physical,  social  and  mental  well-being  of  children, including  access  to  basic  nutrition  under  various  meal  schemes  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (d) Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) vide their order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) dated 30th September, 2020 has stated that State/UT Governments may take a decision in respect of reopening of schools and coaching institutions, after 15th October, 2020, in a graded manner, The decision shall be taken in consultation with the respective school/institution management, based on their assessment of the situation. MHA issued order  No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) dated 27 th May, 2021 to ensure compliance to the containment measure for COVID-19, as conveyed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) D.O Letter dated 25-04-2021. Wherein it has been advised that  the  decision  on  where and when to go for large Containment Zone(CZ) has to be evidence based and done at the State/UT level after proper analysis of the situation. However, in order to facilitate  objective,  and  epidemiologically  sound  decision  making,  the  following  broad-based framework is provided to aid States/UTs in selection of districts/areas:

| S.No.   | Parameter       | Thresholds                                                     |
|---------|-----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Test positivity | Test positivity of 10% or more in the last one week.           |
| Or      | Or              | Or                                                             |
| 2       | Bed Occupancy   | Bed Occupancy of more than 60% on either supported or ICU beds |

The areas so identified for intensive action and local containment will primarily focus on many strategic areas of intervention including prohibition of academic gatherings.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  issued  detailed  SOP/guidelines regarding health and safety precautions for reopening of schools after issue of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines for unlock-5, on 5 th October, 2020. Part I of these guidelines refers to the health and safety aspects for reopening schools. These are based on the prevailing instructions of Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education with regard to health and safety protocols, and are to be implemented by adopting/adapting in accordance with  the  local  situation  in  all  states/UTs.  Part-II  of  the  Guidelines  refers  to  learning  with physical/social   distancing and the academic aspects that are to be taken care of with regard to the delivery of education, such as, curriculum transactions, instructional load, timetables, assessment, etc. after schools reopen. These guidelines can be accessed at :

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/SOP\_Guidelines\_for\_reopening\_school s\_0.pdf

The States/UTs wise status of reopening of schools is annexed.

- (e)              The  spread  of  COVID-19  pandemic  has  also  had  a  severe  impact  on  school  education. Schools  in  many  States  and  Union  Territories  have  been  closed  as  a  precautionary  measure  to protect the students from Novel COVID-19 (Corona) virus. This has interrupted the learning and led  to  disruption  of  education  system  in  the  country.  However,  during  COVID-19  Pandemic, Ministry of Education has held continuous consultations with the states and UTs at various levels to assess the various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic Further, the 'Manodarpan' initiative is covering  a  wide  range  of  activities  to  provide  psychosocial  support  to  students,  teachers  and families  for  Mental  Health  and  Emotional  Wellbeing  during  the  COVID  outbreak  and  beyond. Under  such  extraordinary  circumstances,  the  Central  Government  decided  to  provide  Mid-Day Meal to meet the nutritional requirements of the eligible children under Mid-DayMeal Scheme in order to safeguard their immunity. The State Governments and Union Territories are advised to provide to every eligible child, hot cooked Mid-Day Meal or Food Security Allowance, consisting of quantity of the food grains as per entitlement of the child and cooking cost prevailing in the State,  whichever  is  feasible,  till  such  time  their  schools  are  closed  due  to  Novel  COVID-19 (Corona) Virus and also during summer vacation in 2020-21.

*******

ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN PART(a) TO (d) OF THE REPLY TO THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3296 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2021 ASKED BY  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  DR.  SHASHI  THAROOR  REGARDING 'RE-OPENING OF SCHOOLS'

## Status of States / UTs - Reopening Schools (As on 02 nd  August 2021)

| States where Schools have reopened/ re-opening   | Classes Reopened/ Re-opening   | Date of Re- opening      | States where Schools have not reopened   |
|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh (Tentative)                       | 9 th to 12 th                  | 16.08.2021               | Andaman &Nicobar Islands                 |
| Haryana                                          | 9 th to 12 th                  | 16.07.2021               | Assam                                    |
| Lakshadweep                                      | All classes                    | 1 st week of August 2021 | Arunachal Pradesh                        |
| Pudduchery (Tentative)                           | All classes                    | 01.08.2021               | Bihar                                    |
| Nagaland                                         | 11 th &12 th                   | 26.07.2021               | Chandigarh                               |
| Punjab                                           | 10 th to 12 th                 | 02.08.2021               | Chhattisgarh                             |
| Uttarakhand                                      | 10 th to 12th                  | 02.08.2021               | Delhi                                    |
| Himachal Pradesh                                 | 10 th to 12 th                 | 02.08.2021               | Dnd - Dnh                                |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Goa Gujarat                              |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Jammu And Kashmir                        |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Jharkhand                                |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Karnataka                                |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Kerala                                   |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Ladakh                                   |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Madhya Pradesh                           |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Maharashtra                              |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Meghalaya                                |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Manipur                                  |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Mizoram                                  |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Odisha                                   |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Rajasthan Sikkim                         |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Tamil Nadu                               |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Telangana                                |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Tripura                                  |
|                                                  |                                |                          | Uttar Pradesh                            |
|                                                  |                                |                          | West Bengal                              |
| Total States/UTs Re- opened/Re-opening =08       |                                |                          | Total States/UTs not Reopening =28       |