Schools to reopen in Puducherry from December 6 after heavy rains ends
As schools in the national capital go on indefinite lockdown owing to severe pollution, schools in Puducherry have been allowed to reopen from December 6 after they were shut due to severe rains.
Education Minister A Namassivayam announced, on December 3, that all schools in Puducherry and Karaikal regions would resume holding classes for students of standards I to VIII from Monday.
While in-person schools for Classes I, III, V and VII will be conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, students of Classes II, IV, VI and VIII will be allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The schools had reopened briefly for students of Class I to Class VIII earlier on November 8. However, heavy rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu and the union territory in the days that followed. This necessitated the closure of schools, Namassivayam told the press. Although, schools have resumed for Class IX to XII for some time now.
Director of School Education Rudra Goud told PTI that classes would be held for half a day on alternate days. All safety protocols in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would be followed and attendance would not be compulsory. No decision was taken on restarting the mid-day meal programme for and the decision would be taken in course of time, Namassivayam said.
Like other parts of the country, schools in Puducherry remained on lockdown for more than a year after the COVID pandemic hit in March last year. The dates for reopening schools were postponed a number of times since then as the health crisis unfolded.
