Jharkhand govt decides to shut schools amid COVID surge, JAC Class 10, 12 to continue as per schedule

With the much aggressive second wave of COVID-19 leading to a surge in cases across the country, the Jharkhand State Government has decided to close down schools in the state as a precautionary measure. On the other hand, JAC Matric and Intermediate Exams 2021 for 10 and 12 exams are expected to continue as per the timetable or exam date sheet released earlier. In addition to this, schools however are allowed to conduct offline classes for students of Class 10 and 12, with the prior consent of their parents.

Ongoing exams to continue

Following the high-level meeting and Jharkhand CM’s decision, the Home Prison and Disaster Management Department put out an official order confirming the restrictions that will be implemented. The order said that “The ongoing examinations will not be affected by the order and will continue as usual. All schools shall be closed and education shall be provided online or by digital content. However offline classes for class 10th and 12th students who shall be taking the board examinations in the year 2021 are permitted. These offline classes shall not be mandatory and students shall attend only with the prior consent of their parents.”

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As per the media reports, the decision to close down schools across the state was taken by the Jharkhand State Government after a high-level review meeting held recently. The meeting was convened and chaired by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday – April 7. During the meeting, stakeholders presented the account of the prevailing situation and also proposed a number of measures that can be taken to arrest the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. During the meeting, the state government also decided that shops and restaurants will remain closed after 8 pm with an exemption to take-away services. In addition to this, a night curfew is also imposed in the state after 8 pm and all parks, gymnasiums and swimming pools shall be closed.