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Decision to reopen schools, colleges on April 14: Centre

By The Assam Tribune

NEW DELHI, April 5 - The government will take a decision on reopening of schools and colleges on April 14 after reviewing the coronavirus situation in the country, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal �Nishank� said on Sunday.

In an interview to PTI, he said the safety of students and teachers is of utmost importance to the government and that his ministry is prepared to ensure there is no academic loss to students if educational institutions needed to remain shut beyond April 14, when the ongoing 21-day lockdown is slated to end.

�It is difficult to take a decision at the moment. We will review the situation on April 14 and depending upon the circumstances, a decision will be taken on whether schools and colleges can be reopened now or have to be closed for some more time,� Pokhriyal said when asked about his Ministry�s post-lockdown plan.

�There are 34 crore students in the country, more than America�s population. They are our biggest treasure. Safety of students and teachers is of utmost importance to the government,� he added.

The 21-day nationwide lockdown ends on April 14. There have been indications from the government that the lockdown may not be extended.

Classes in schools and colleges were suspended and exams postponed even before the lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect from the next day.

There are over 800 universities, 40,000 colleges and 12,000 standalone Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), besides 1.5 lakh schools in the country.

The government announced earlier this week that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct pending exams for class 10 and 12 only in those 29 subjects which are crucial for promotion and admission to higher educational instituions. The board has also announced that it will not conduct pending class 10 and 12 examinations in foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. � PTI

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