Delhi schools to reopen with 50% capacity for classes 6 to 8: DDMA Panel

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) expert panel has suggested resuming schools and offline classes for 6th to 8th standard students in Delhi with 50% of the total strength. This came after the expert panel observed that there was no spike in COVID cases after the state government resumed offline classes for 9th to 12th. Meanwhile, the attendance percentage of senior class students has also increased by 15%, according to DDMA. Recently, the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital, Anil Baijal, stated that the authorities will decide on the reopening of the school for classes 6th to 8th after the festive season. However, so far there have been no clear orders on the resumption of schools, but reports suggest that the authorities are soon likely to announce specific dates.

DDMA Meeting: Reopening of Delhi Schools for Classes 6 to 8

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority held its 25th meeting on September 29 to discuss the COVID-19 situation in Delhi, and a few insights from the meeting were given on Tuesday. The director for education had said at the meeting, "No reported instance of any increased local transmission of COVID-19 in Delhi due to reopening of schools for classes 9 to 12. There has been a steady increase in the attendance of students (approximately 80 per cent) physically attending schools". While other experts present at the meeting also highlighted that the next two to three months are very critical in view of festivals like Navratri, Dussehra, and Diwali.

Delhi Schools Reopening

In view of the COVID situation across the nation, the DDMA Panel was formed. They were asked to present a brief plan along with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for resuming physical classes for students in Delhi schools. After the state recorded fewer COVID cases, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government announced the reopening of schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges, and other educational institutions on September 1, 2021. According to the government's guidelines, coming to schools is termed as a voluntary decision and no students can be forced to attend offline classes. While the government's school reopening guidelines allow only 50% of students per classroom under strict COVID guidelines.

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