Delhi schools to reopen for students of seniors classes from Sept 1

Sisodia also informed that no student will be forced to attend the classes as the hybrid system of online and offline mode of learning will continue.

He said about 70 percent of people wanted the schools to reopen.

"About 70 percent of people wanted schools to reopen, according to a Delhi government survey. We are still working on the protocols. It will be a blended mode of online and in-person classes," Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, told the media.

"Given that Covid cases have come down and the positivity rate is just 0.1 per cent, we feel we can open schools now. Almost 98 per cent of staff in Delhi schools have had at least one dose," he said.

Colleges and other educational institutions like coaching centres have also been permitted to reopen from Sept 1.

The decision on whether to reopen schools for classes below 9 will be taken after another round of feedback, announced Sisodia.

These decisions were cleared at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) following recommendations of an expert committee set up by the panel.

In its report submitted on Wednesday, the committee had recommended that students belonging to senior classes should be attending schools in the first phase followed by the middle-grade students and ultimately the primary classes.

The committee had also said that willing parents should have the option of sending their child to school and others can opt for online classes.

Schools in the national capital were ordered to shut down in March last year ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19.