New Delhi: In view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all schools in Delhi will remain closed till October 31, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Sunday.
According to the new guidelines released by the Centre, the state governments could open schools from October 15. However, it was up to the state governments concerned to take the final call.
The Delhi government had on September 18 ordered all schools in the city to stay shut until October 5, and has now extended the closure to the end of October.
“The decision to close the schools in Delhi will continue. I have instructed to shut all schools till October 31. The order for the same will be released soon,” Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said: “As a parent, I understand the seriousness of the situation. At this time, it would not be appropriate to take any risk regarding the health of children.”
The Centre had given permission to states to open the schools provided all guidelines and precautions related to Covid-19 are strictly followed. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which will have to be followed by state governments in case they decide to reopen schools.
However, the Delhi government wants to continue studies through online mode. There have been several surveys carried out in recent times which reveal that parents do not want to send their children to schools yet. According to a survey, 71 per cent of parents are not ready to send their children to schools while 9 per cent were indecisive.
