Mumbai: Amid Omicron fear, classes I to VII reopen for in-person teaching today

“We have directed all schools to reopen on Wednesday following Covid protocols. Of 900-odd schools, as many as 839 civic-run schools will reopen on Wednesday. There is apprehension among parents to send their children to schools. We will monitor the situation in the coming weeks,” read a notice issued by the BMC.

Of the total 2.92 lakh students in Classes I to VII in civic-run schools, BMC is expecting less than one lakh of students on the first day. Only parents of 40 per cent of students from BMC schools have given consent for their children to attend in-person classes, the BMC said.

According to data from the BMC, the staff strength of the BMC’s education department and civic-run schools, including teachers, is 60,000, of which 95 per cent have taken one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

BMC said it is ensuring all its staffers are fully vaccinated at the earliest.

Most private institutions in the city are following a wait and watch approach amid the rise in Omicron cases. “Although the government has permitted schools in Maharashtra to resume physical classes, we have decided to monitor the situation for some time rather than starting classes immediately. We also have taken a census of the parents and have noticed hesitation among them as Omicron cases are increasing. Majority of parents (60 per cent approximately) want to send their wards to school only after they receive the vaccine. According to our survey, parents are in favour of continuing online classes as they feel that it suffices the needs of the students and their wards have become used to the routine. Considering their apprehensions, our management has taken the decision unanimously to postpone resumption. We all know that younger children are difficult to monitor as they don’t understand the seriousness of the safety protocols fully. So, we will keep track of the situation and resume classes in a staggered manner soon,” said Arjumand P Jhanjharya, principal, Orchids International School, Yari Road Branch.

Schools reopened for classes VIII to XII in urban areas and from class V onwards in rural areas in the state after over a year-long break due on October 4. Most schools in the city are conducting regular in-person classes for Class IX and X students and twice a week for the remaining classes. In civic-run schools, the attendance for classes VIII to XII has been steadily increasing.