Schools, barring residential government institutions, resumed offline classes in Telangana on Wednesday, with COVID-19 protocols in place, while colleges too resumed in the state.

The resumption of classes for 1st to 12th standards followed a High Court Order on Tuesday, granting schools permission to do so, while staying government residential schools from holding off-line classes for four weeks.

The Court also directed that no children in any class be compelled by school managements to physically attend offline classes if parents were not inclined to send them.

On Wednesday, students streamed into schools wearing masks, used the hand sanitizer's provided and attended classes.

Education Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, who inspected a school in the city, said students should be told specifically during morning prayers about the need to follow COVID-19 norms.

Teachers and other staff should also take precautions at the time of mid-day meals, she said.

More care should be taken about school children as college students are expected to have better awareness, she said.

Out of 60 lakh children from 1st to 12th standard in the state, about 29 to 30 lakh students are in government institutions, she said.

Meanwhile, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan visited the high school at Raj Bhavan here and interacted with students, teachers and parents and officials.