More than one-and-a-half years after schools in the State closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are set to return to campuses on November 1.
The phased reopening will see primary students from classes 1 to 7 go back first for in-person classes. They will be accompanied by students of classes 10 and 12 who will appear for board examinations later this academic year. From November 15, students of the remaining classes too will reach schools.
The decision on school reopening was taken at a COVID-19 review meeting here on Saturday.
The meeting decided to permit the resumption from October 18 of all classes for college students who have received the COVID-19 vaccination.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement, stressed that health experts were of the opinion that schools should reopen for primary classes first.
The General Education Department and the Health Department will together decide on the arrangements to be put in place for schools to resume. These should be completed 15 days before the classes begin.
The meeting was of the opinion that it would be better for students with low immunity not to attend school. The steps to be adopted while transporting students to schools in vehicles also needed to be discussed.
Measures would be initiated to restart the school health programme to ensure complete health safety. Steps should be taken to prevent infections from spreading once schools reopen. Special masks should be prepared for children. Masks should be stocked by schools.
Vaccination for teaching and non-teaching school staff is under way as a prelude to school reopening. A seroprevalence study to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children in the 5-17 age group, among others, is on. The survey is expected to be completed this month.