Maharashtra plans to kick off academic year from July, in phases

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Monday okayed a move to allow schools to function in non-red zones, albeit with several riders, and recommended online learning in other areas. In rural areas, which have not reported new infections in the last one month, schools can reopen. Schools in the red zones can only resort to e-learning for now.
The state government said that they are also looking at providing online education in schools under a pilot project.

The development came after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with education department officials and school education minister Varsha Gaikwad. She later tweeted that ‘detailed instructions would be posted shortly.’

Officials said schools and colleges will start functioning in phases from July to September. To begin with, classes for 9th,10th and 12th standards will start from July, while students of 6th to 8th standards will start streaming into their classes from August. Classes for 3rd to 5th standards will start from September. With online learning likely to be difficult for students belonging to classes 1st and 2nd, it has been left to the school education department to take a call.

The decision to start the academic year for the 11th standard students will be taken in July after the results of the SSC board are released. At locations where schools cannot start, the chief minister said that the board should take the help of TataSky and Jio to conduct online classes.

According to the proposal being worked out, children from 3rd to 5th standards would have online classes for one hour every day while those in higher classes will have online and digital education for two hours every day.

Gaikwad said students could also benefit with a tie-up with the state networks like Doordarshan and Akashwani for imparting education to children.

Among other proposals discussed were allowing schools to start with students wearing masks, limiting one student on each bench, having classes for students on alternate days and sanitising schools every day.