Himachal mulls reopening schools in phases

Bhanu P Lohumi

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Shimla, February 12

With Covid cases on the decline, the Himachal Pradesh Education Department is contemplating reopening schools for Classes VI to VIII in a phased manner.

Amarjeet Sharma, Director, Higher Education, said the department had been receiving calls from parents for reopening schools at the earliest. He said the final decision in this regard was expected during a Cabinet meeting on February 14.

The closure of schools due to the Covid pandemic has affected the overall development of children and the issue has been raised by parents frequently. “We are paying Rs 7-9 lakh per annum to schools even though our children are sitting at home. The money we are paying for sports and extracurricular activities is going to waste,” said a parent.

Concerns have been raised over the physical and cognitive health of children, who have been homebound for a long time. Poor eyesight and concentration issues have emerged as major flaws of online education.