Govt schools prepping for a Feb reopening for older kids, say officials

New Delhi: The Delhi government, now ready to suggest to the DDMA to reopen physical classes for older school students, is making preparations with a February first week reopening in mind, senior officials in the government said on Sunday.

One senior official said that in an internal meeting, the Education department was eager to reopen the schools for classes IX, X, XI and XII so that the off-line learning can resume.

"The Education Minister directed officials to ensure that all students in these classes have been vaccinated at the earliest so offline classes can at least resume for them. It is likely that in the first week of February, schools will reopen," he said.

Around 85 per cent students in Delhi government schools in the age-group of 15 to 18 years have been vaccinated till January 21.

The Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday had said that out of the 15 education districts, at least in 12 districts, 85 per cent students of the government schools have been vaccinated and there are about 300 schools where 90 per cent eligible students have received their first shot.

Overall, of the 10 lakh children eligible for the vaccination, the city has administered the first dose to over 7.43 lakh teens.

The teachers are being encouraged to get more students to come forward for their vaccine shot, a junior official from the education department said. The inoculation drive for students in Delhi between the age group of 15-18 years began from January 3.