Many private schools in Andhra Pradesh won\'t reopen today

KAKINADA: Though the state government has decided to reopen schools from Monday after almost six months due to Covid-19 pandemic, many private school managements have chosen not to open their institutions yet.

Managements of certain private schools have said guidelines of the state government on reopening of schools are so stringent that they would rather not reopen schools but continue classes online. Many parents are also apprehensive about sending their children to schools, thereby exposing them to the risk of virus, that too when children are in the vulnerable group.

East Godavari Private School Managements Association president Muthukumilli Srivijay said: “Many guidelines issued by the government are highly unreasonable. They have been framed by the state government without taking private school managements or even headmasters or teachers of government schools into confidence. Scores of parents are not ready to send their children to schools, that too when the state government itself is warning about the second wave of Coronavirus hitting.”

Srivijay said so far only one parent has given nod for sending his child to his school. “The state government has also warned private schools that even if a single case of Covid-19 is registered in the school, its registration will be cancelled. Why should school managements reopen schools amidst dire warnings,” he asked.

There are nearly 2,000 schools in East Godavari with 1.3 lakh students and 901 schools with 1 lakh students in West Godavari district. West Godavari district education officer P. V. Renuka underlined that schools should allow only 16 students per class. Her East Godavari counterpart S. Abraham said schools will run only from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with only ninth and 10th class students.Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, vice chancellor M. Ramalinga Raju said all affiliated engineering colleges will be reopening from Monday.