The students of Tamil Nadu had recently got the signal to get ready for their physical classes after a year of being confined in online classes after the state government has announced that it is ready to reopen the schools for classes 9 to 12 from September 1. The school education department had also instructed the authorities and district educational officers to carry out the measures and frame the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for reopening the schools.

However, the students are counting days of wait for the final decision as the government is yet to divulge the confirmation that the schools will be reopened from September 1. The schools were shut during the tenures of the first and second waves of the pandemic and the incessant stay away from the physical classes had pushed most of the students in raging stress from not being able to afford online classes to the lack of proper connectivity. The confinement in homes for months had also turned many students into a worker on the fields to help their family winning bread amid the lockdown.

There was a barrage of requests from across the state in recent times to reopen the schools as long-time detachments from the schools could make them struggle more. Earlier this month, Chief Minister MK Stalin has said that the government has planned to reopen the schools for Classes 9 to 12 from September 1. In a statement, he has said that the experts are of assertions to reopen the schools by stating that students have been under depression since they continue to remain indoors and it has created a gap in the learning process among students.

They also had pointed out that a majority of students could not attend online classes due to network issues and the Chief Minister has added that considering the opinion of various sections, it has been proposed to reopen the schools for classes 9 to 12 with 50 per cent of students from September 1 by adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines. Furthermore, the School Education Department has been instructed to undertake preliminary works towards the reopening of schools for these students.

However, in a setback, the proposal of reopening the schools didn't progress to the next stage of confirmation as the government is yet to announce its final decision. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has held a meeting with all the Chief Educational Officers (CEO) to discuss the reopening of schools from September 1 and to understand the challenges faced by the department. The meeting had also discussed reducing the syllabus for the classes this academic year and framing detailed SOPs for schools that should be adhered to in the premises. 

Why there is a delay in announcing the final decision? 

According to IANS, the state government is surfaced with different opinions concerning the reopening the schools. While a large number of teachers and academicians are in favour of reopening the schools for classes 9 to 12, the state health department is not happy with the move of reopening the schools. Speaking to IANS, an official from the Education Department said that the government is confused on whether or not to reopen the schools and the education minister has decided to get feedback from the CEOs about the situation on the ground.

The minister has also been discussing with the officials of different departments like the Directorate of Government Examination and Directorate of Elementary Education. The School Education Department has come up with a three-week bridge course for students of Classes 9 to 12 which will be like a refreshing session as they would be entering the classes for the first time in more than a year.

The students have to be taken out of the confinement and be prepared for the pre-Covid world and jumping on the lessons straightway would not be friendly for them. An official has said that this refresher three-week bridge course for Class 9 will contain basic concepts that the students have learned in classes 6 to 8 and it will also help the teachers in revising the topics again. This course will be mainly focused on grammar, reading, and writing skills, and the students will be taken through the lessons taught online. 

When the students can expect the final decision? 

After attending the meeting on Tuesday, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi had urged the department to be ready with all the preparations for reopening the schools. According to reports, it was decided in Tuesday's meeting that the final decision on the reopening of schools for classes 9 to 12 to be taken after another meeting with Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday. So, the students can expect the final decision on school reopening on Friday - August 20. 

The report and reviews of Tuesday's meeting will be tabled before Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday and after obtaining the final opinions from the stakeholders including the health department, he will be taking the final call on whether schools can be reopened on September 1. It has also been reported that the syllabus of the current academic year to be reduced at least by 35%.