Just a day before the six states and one Union territory are to reopen schools for students of various classes, Dr JA Jayalal, the president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that this is the “right time” for governments to take a “calculated risk” and start classes.
Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “Considering [the] possibility of spread, the risk is quite negligible at this moment unless something catastrophic takes place. It’s the right time when [the] government should come forward and take a calculated risk and open the schools in an appropriate way.”
The third wave of the virus appears to be large, hence the Centre has warned the citizens that the second wave of the coronavirus disease or the pandemic is not yet over and amid this many states and UTs such as Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat, among others have given the go-ahead to resume schools.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday issued guidelines for reopening of schools, in which it said that classes can be led at a maximum of 50% capacity of students in each classroom and that the timetable should be chalked out as per occupancy limit.
In Delhi — where speculations have been prevalent for weeks on the matter of reopening of schools — classes 9 to 12 will resume from Wednesday, while classes 6 to 8 will resume from September 8.
However, Dr Jayalal’s statement and the decision of certain states to restart the physical classes amid the Telangana high court’s stay order on the state government’s decision to reopen schools.
Considering possibility of spread, the risk is quite negligible at this moment unless something very catastrophic events taking place. It’s the right time when govt should come forward & take a calculated risk & open the schools in an appropriate way: IMA president Dr JA Jayalal pic.twitter.com/1AzWlSzKpp
— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2021
Moreover, on August 24 the Telangana government had announced the resumption of physical classes in all educational institutions in the state, including the Anganwadi centres, from September 1 onwards.
But, the high court on Tuesday put a stay on the state government’s directive, saying that no student would be forced to attend the physical classes. In the response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) this order has been issued. The high court also asked the Telangana government to file an affidavit on the matter.
