After a gap of 18 months after being shut due to the Covid19 pandemic lockdown, schools in Maharashtra, barring the primary sections, reopened on Monday.
According to a media report, in many schools, the teachers and non-teaching staff welcomed the students of their schools with roses, chocolates and sweetmeats to mark the day of re-opening school.
Maharashtra school education minister Prof Varsha Gaikwad reported visited some of the schools in Sion-Dharavi.
She also interacted with the students in their classrooms and urged them to take all care and return to the school routines as in the pre-pandemic era.
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The report quoted Prof Varsha Gaikwad as saying: “A new day has come, a new journey begins, step out into the light and step inside the classroom. Welcome!”
According to the report, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar also visited some of the schools.
Pednekar had interactions with the students and the staff and directed to follow all the Covid protocols.
The school authorities were directed to make all amenities like drinking water, clean toilets and fumigated classes available for the children.
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As per a decision by the government, all schools from Class 5-12 in the rural areas and from Class 8-12 in the urban areas have been opened for students with effect from Monday.
It has been reported that some of the schools like Gyan Ganga International School in Pune remained closed as many of the students have not paid their fees for the previous year.
The decision of the school authority also sparked protests from the parents and political parties.