Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SD)

Bengaluru, May 7: If the central government does not extend the lockdown, Karnataka government has reportedly decided to reopen primary and middle schools from June 1.

Commissioner K G Jagadeesha of the department of Public Instruction stated that if the lockdown ends by May 17, the schools would reopen.

"If the lockdown is extended, then obviously schools would not open. So far, we have decided that schools will start as usual since the summer vacation ends on May 31," he added.

However, taking into consideration the situation at hand, department officials have been consulting the health department with regards to guidelines to be undertaken once schools reopen, sources from the Department of Primary and Secondary Education revealed. One of the major concerns the officials have is ensuring social distancing.

"The health department has suggested that classes for students between standards 1 and 4 can be held in the morning and the rest of them can have classes in the afternoon. To maintain social distancing, more classrooms are required," an official commented.

Due to the lockdown, the SSLC exams which were scheduled to be held on March 27 this year, had been postponed. Probable proposals are being made by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education to hold the exams by the first week of July.

"We have decided to start high school classes after the SSLC exam. So far, we have decided to start classes only for the students of Class 1 to 7 starting June 1. Once the SSLC exams are over, the high school classes can begin again as the exams will need to be held in the high schools and holding classes at the same time is not possible," Jagadeesha said.

"We have to formulate all the guidelines first in consultation with the health department and then communicate this with the schools. Some schools may not have a big building. So we have to see whether classes can be held in a staggered manner. We are yet to decide on the logistics," a department official asserted.