The state education minister Kunga Nima Lepcha announced that schools and colleges in Sikkim will reopen on June 15. The government and private schools will resume classes for grade 9 to 12 in compliance with the government’s guidelines regarding COVID-19. But, nursery to class 8 will remain suspended until further notice, the education minister said. The daily assembly of schools is also suspended for this academic session.

The classes in schools and colleges in Sikkim will be held in two shifts and social distancing norms will be maintained and other guidelines will be followed. In order to focus more on studies, the annual examinations have been postponed to February 2021, he said. Schools in Sikkim will remain open on all Saturdays as well.

GP Upadhayaya, additional chief secretary, education, told HT that the district administrations will be asked to hand over the schools that had been converted into quarantine centres after disinfecting and sanitising them before June 10.

However, online education will continue as usual in COVID-free Sikkim. The minister said education is very important and hence, it should not be hampered at any cost. The education department is trying to reach out to students within and outside the state. 

Sikkim has not reported any new COVID-19 case. India has recorded 1,38,845, cases of coronavirus including 77,103 active cases and 57,720 cured/discharged and 4,021 deaths as on Monday afternoon.  

Source: Hindustan Times

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