Jaipur, Sep 1 (IANS): Schools in Rajasthan reopened for classes 9 to 12 on Wednesday after remaining closed for several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said, "We have decided to reopen the schools from classes 9 to 12 and have already issued the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for it. Maintaining social distancing and wearing masks is mandatory in schools as per the Covid-19 guidelines," he added.

"We have decided to reduce the school syllabus to 70 per cent so that the course for classes 9 to 12 can be finished on time. The orders in this regard will be issued soon."

He said the education department's SOPs must be thoroughly followed and all teachers and staff need to be fully vaccinated.

The education department has prepared guidelines keeping in mind the possibility of a third wave hitting the country, the Minister added.

"We will evaluate monthly performance of all students through monthly tests. In case we are unable to hold exams for classes 10 and 12, we need to have a strong back-up to evaluate students' performance," he said.

As per the SOPs, students can opt for online classes if their parents are hesitant to send them to school.

The Minister in a tweet said, "The state government has once again decided to open the schools which remained closed due to Covid-19. Following the Covid guidelines, schools from classes 9 to 12 are being resumed on Wednesday."