Bhubaneswar, Jul 17 (IANS): In view of inconvenience faced by students during online classes due to poor network in rural and remote areas, the Odisha government has decided to reopen schools for Class X and XII students from July 26.

Addressing a presser on virtual mode on Saturday, Odisha's school and mass education principal secretary Satyabrata Sahu said, "We are able to reach only 40 per cent of the total students through online teaching while another 60 per cent are still left behind. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the school students in the state have lost 150 days of classroom teaching."

Now, both private and government-run schools will reopen for Class X and XII students from July 26. The classes will be held from 10.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. for the students without recess hour. The schools will remain closed on all Sundays and all holidays, he said.

However, the schools which will be used as examination centres, will be reopened at a later stage after completion of the tests, Sahu said.

The government is issuing a detailed SOP for resumption of the classes in adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines. However, it is not mandatory for all students. Those who wish to attend the classes physically can attend the schools, the secretary said.

However, the district collectors will take a final call on reopening of schools after reviewing the COVID situation in their concerned districts.

Moreover, Sahu said, the state government is also planning to reopen the schools for Class IX and XI students from August 16 and September 15, respectively.

The classes for Class XI students will be held from September 15 after completion of admission into Plus II courses, he further informed.

Keeping the prevailing pandemic situation in mind, the Odisha government has also decided to adopt a continuous and comprehensive evaluation process so that the evaluation can be done throughout the academic year, he said.