Maharashtra government has decided to reopen schools in the state from August 17, 2021 onwards. The state government will reopen the schools in areas where coronavirus cases are under control and they can restart the physical classes. The standard operating procedures have been released by the government for physical classes.

The schools will resume from next week onwards for classes 5 to 12 in rural areas and for classes 8 to 12 in urban areas. All the schools, teaching, and non-teaching staff and students will have to follow SOPs issued by the state government.

As per the SOPs, for the safety of the staff & students, vaccination has been made compulsory for teachers/staff. We have also constituted a task force headed by the collector/commissioner to monitor the resumption and safe operations of schools, said School Education Minister of the state, Varsha Gaikwad.

The attendance norms in the schools have been relaxed and students will require parents’ consent to attend the schools after reopening. The decision however was taken by the state government after 81 percent of parents in the survey done by SCERT Maharashtra said that they want the schools to reopen.

Meanwhile, municipal commissioners in Mumbai, Thane, and Collectors of the 11 districts where restrictions still continue have been empowered to access risk locally and decide on school reopening in their jurisdiction.