Karnataka to take a call tomorrow on re-opening of schools

After taking suggestions from parents, health committee officials and educational experts, the Karnataka government is set to take a decision tomorrow on whether schools should be re-opened in the state.

A meeting to this effect is likely between Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, officials of the education, health and social welfare departments.

The government has already sought suggestions from educational experts and health officials. After consideration of the suggestions and guidelines, the state government has already reopened degree colleges and higher education institutions.

According to sources, some of the experts and officials have suggested the education department to start offline classes for high school from December.

"The opinion of the parents, teachers and students has been collected from various parts of the state on the reopening of schools and has been documented in the form of a report which will be presented before the Chief Minister and others on November 23, " said sources in the education department said on Sunday.

The schools and colleges were shut since the coronavirus- induced lockdown in March and were not opened yet.

Besides the opposition parties, there is a section of MLAs in the ruling BJP unwilling to reopen the educational institutions.

Recently, the degree, engineering and diploma colleges reopened with an option that students can attend online classes as well.

From December 1, the medical, dental, nursing and AYUSH colleges would reopen.

The Education Department is contemplating to start pre- university colleges from the second week of December.

This comes as COVID-19 cases in the state continue to rise with as many as 1,781 new COVID-19 cases being reported on Saturday. So far, a total number of 8,71,342 cases have been reported in the state, of which 8,34,968 have recovered while 11,641 others have lost their lives.

(With agency inputs)