Amid confusion, Maharashtra to reopen schools from October 4

The flip-flop on reopening of schools in Maharashtra continues. The state's school education minister, Varsha Gaikwad, on Friday announced that in-person school classes would be reopened for students of classes 5 to 12 in rural areas and those of classes 8 to 12 in urban areas from October 4.

Gaikwad's announcement came hours after deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar spoke of the state looking to vaccinate students below 18 years of age in order for schools to start.

This is not the first time that there has been confusion in reopening of schools in the state. On August 10, Gaikwad had announced that schools would reopen in the state by August 17. However, within hours of the announcement, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray rolled back the decision as the state's Pediatric Covid Task Force had expressed apprehensions over the move, saying that the next surge in Covid-19 infections may impact children more and, hence, a decision on reopening of schools should be postponed.


The move to reopen schools from October 4 is also at variance with the state's earlier stand that schools would be reopened only after Diwali.

Pawar had said in August that the Covid Task Force had asked the state to allow schools to function only after Diwali.

Gaikwad on Friday, however, stated that there was unanimity in the state government over the latest date for reopening of schools.

According to her, the chief minister, the state's Pediatric Covid Task Force and the state's health department have signed off on the decision to allow schools to reopen from October 4.

There were, however, caveats imposed by the school education department, such as parents can't be compelled to get their children to physically come to schools, meaning there would be an option for online learning.