The students looked excited as they entered the school after a long gap and met their friends, classmates and teachers.
At the school gate, officials ensured that all students wore proper masks and sanitized their hands before entering the campus, and classes had only one student asked to sit on a single bench.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Said the decision to reopen schools was “very difficult”, and appealed to teachers and parents to take care of the students.
Till now, schools were conducting physical classes only in areas that were reporting relatively few Covid-19 cases.
Last month, Maharashtra’s School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwadi had announced that physical classes would resume in schools across the state and the government had also issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the same.
On Monday morning, the minister said in a tweet, “Best wishes to all parents and students as schools reopen across the state today. We hope you enjoy your first day in a safe environment.”
According to the Maharashtra government, physical sessions have started for classes 5 to 12 in rural areas of the state and for classes 8 to 12 in urban areas.
But, physical classes have not yet resumed for classes 1 to 4 in rural areas and for classes 1 to 7 in urban areas.
As per the SOP issued by the state government for the reopening of schools, it is not mandatory for the students to attend physical classes. If they wish to participate, they must submit a consent form from their parents.
CM Thackeray unveiled the logo of a campaign titled ‘My Student: My Responsibility’ in the presence of Minister Gaikwad and other dignitaries at his official protest ‘Varsha’ in South Mumbai on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said the decision to reopen the school was “very difficult”.
“Today, we are seeing that the gates of schools have opened, but it is not just the doors that are open, it is their future and progress. The decision was taken very carefully,” Thackeray said. The concerned task force before taking such decisions.
The Chief Minister said that this is the most difficult and challenging time in the lives of the students, and appealed to the parents and teachers to take proper care of the students.
He said, “Take responsibility of your child. If the teacher is not feeling well, he should get checked immediately.”
Thackeray also suggested keeping the doors and windows of classrooms open for proper aeration, disinfecting them when students are not around, and keeping classrooms and toilets clean. He also asked the officials to ensure that the students wear masks and follow social distancing norms.
“Once the schools open, we will continue our education with a resolve not to close them,” Thackeray said.
I extend my warm wishes and best wishes to all the students, teachers and parents on the first day of school. I… https://t.co/fXQrAgS4ZU
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) 1633342504000
Before the ceremony, Gaikwad visited a few schools in Mumbai, including a municipal school in the Colaba area, and interacted with students and teachers.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar also visited a municipal school in Worli area and spoke to its teachers and students.
At a school in suburban Jogeshwari, teachers and school management members showered flower petals on students as they entered the campus.
On the first day of reopening of institutions, various schools welcomed students with ‘rangoli’ (coloured traditional patterns), flowers and balloons.
Many students looked excited after coming back to school and physically meeting their classmates and teachers.
In neighboring Pune, students were seen excited as they entered their schools and were welcomed by the authorities.
Anagha Mande, principal of the city-based Ahilya Devi High School for Girls, said, “We had made special arrangements to welcome the students to the campus. On their arrival, masks and sanitizers were distributed to the students.
A man dressed as a clown was seen welcoming the students at the Rajiv Gandhi Academy of e-Learning School and Science Junior College, and the teachers greeted the students with flowers.
In many places, parents came to drop the students outside educational institutions instead of school transport.
Welcoming the students to the campus, a principal of another school said, “Even though offline classes have resumed, we have made available online sessions of the same for students attending classes from home.”
NCP MP Supriya Sule visited a Zilla Parishad school in Pune and welcomed the students with flowers.
The Lok Sabha member from Baramati, Pune, said in a tweet, “Schools (Vidyamandir) have become truly beautiful once again with the arrival of students.”
Maharashtra Headmaster Association State Spokesperson Mahendra Ganpule told PTI that schools in Pune city and rural areas of the district are following all the SOPs prescribed by the state government for the resumption of physical classes.
District Collector Rajesh Narvekar and city mayor in neighboring Thane Naresh Mhaske Saraswati visited Secondary School where both had studied many years ago. Later both said that this trip made them emotional.
Mhaske rang the bell after the first period, saying, “It brought back memories of my childhood when I wanted to do it but couldn’t. A school bell is less important than a temple bell.”
Narvekar, who is from the same school, said he was emotional while visiting his alma mater after a gap of 38 years.
IAS officer took a session for class 10 in Marathi on importance of education for women.
The Maharashtra Education Department held a meeting on Sunday to take stock of the situation before resuming physical classes in schools.
“For a smooth transition to physical classes, effective coordination has to be maintained with the health department, local administration. We are committed to providing a conducive environment to the students, many of whom will return to the classroom after a year and a half, after the meeting Minister Gaikwad tweeted.
Last month, Gaikwad said that according to a survey conducted by the school education department, over 70 per cent parents supported the reopening of schools.
In Maharashtra, physical classes in schools were stopped in March 2020, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The state government in July this year allowed schools to resume physical classes in rural areas where the spread of COVID-19 was negligible. The decision mainly benefited the Vidarbha region of the state, but schools remained closed in major cities such as Mumbai and Pune.
The latest decision was taken after consulting health officials and the state government’s COVID-19 task force, Gaikwad had said earlier.
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