With the fall in COVID cases in Delhi, schools, colleges and coaching institutes can re-open from Monday, but in hybrid mode, the DDMA decided on Friday. Hybrid mode gives students the option of attending physical or online classes. Significantly, the 50% cap on students in classrooms has been done away with. It also allowed gyms, swimming pools and spas to re-open next week.
Schools can re-open in phases – Classes 9 to 12 can begin from February 7. Classes from nursery to 8 will resume from February 14. Teachers who aren’t vaccinated will not be allowed to take classes.
“Several restrictions were lifted at the meeting held today, and with this, the livelihood of people will now be back on track. Schools for classes 9 to 12 will reopen from Monday,” said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after the meeting, adding that if cases continue to decline, they will look at doing away with the hybrid mode and resuming only physical classes.
“Schools for nursery to class 8 will be reopened from February 14. Till then, all schools will make arrangements and implement Covid protocol for reopening. Teachers who are unvaccinated will not be permitted in schools,” he said.
The Delhi government has also directed all higher educational institutions under it to return to offline classes completely, and stop online classes.
“All higher educational institutions, colleges, ITIs, polytechnic and skill institutes will open from Monday and will only hold offline classes. Students have been studying online for the last two years and batches have passed without even seeing their college due to Covid. Now, as cases are declining, higher institutions and colleges should discourage online classes and take only physical classes,” said Sisodia.
Delhi University, a central varsity, is yet to take a call on reopening.
