The Odisha government has approved the reopening of schools for students of IX to XII from November 16, as per guidelines and standard operating procedures issued by the School and Mass Education department. Other than students of these classes, all other courses of academic institutions will remain closed till November 30.
The state government amended the guidelines for the academic month of November, hours after it issued the first set of Unlock 6.0 guidelines. The revised guidelines issued by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) stated, “The Department of School & Mass Education may take appropriate decision with regard to the date of reopening of schools under its control/ superintendence/ supervision in respect of classes from 9th to 12th standard, in a graded manner, after November 15, 2020, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and issue necessary guidelines/ SOP.”
Due to poor internet connectivity in remote areas, online classes in Odisha have not been successful. Samir Ranjan Das, School and Mass Education Minister, had said, “Only 22 lakh out of 60 lakh students had access to online classes.” Schools across Odisha have remained shut since March which has disrupted education for over 50% of the students.
Notably, the state government has also revised rules related to marriage and social functions as part of its unlock 6.0 guidelines.