New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday announced that all schools will remain closed for students till October 5 in the national capital. The city’s Directorate of Education has declared amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the capital. The announcement has put an end to speculations around the partial reopening of schools in Delhi for students of classes 9 to 12 (as per the Centre’s Unlock 4 guidelines) from September 21.

“Head of Schools (HoS) are authorised to call teachers/staff (as per requirement) for smooth conduct of online classes, teaching-learning activities, and any other work. All the Heads of government, government-aided, unaided private recognized schools of Directorate of Education, and local bodies i.e. MCDs, NDMC, and Delhi Cantonment Board are hereby directed to disseminate this information among the teaching, non-teaching staff, students and parents through SMC members/mass SMS facility/phone calls and other means,” the circular reads.

All schools will remain closed for students in Delhi till October 5, 2020. Online classes & teaching-learning activities will continue as usual: Directorate of Education, Delhi pic.twitter.com/wDpEdqkNWk

— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2020

Schools across the country have been physically shut since March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are being conducted online.

The Union Health Ministry had on September 8 issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a partial reopening of schools for students of classes 9 to 12 for taking guidance from their teachers on a voluntary basis.

The SOP follows Unlock 4 guidelines of Home Ministry which came into effect from September 1. The Home Ministry had said that States and Union Territories may permit up to 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching/tele-counselling and related work from September 21.

It stated that students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers and this will be subject to the written consent of their parents or guardians.

The SOP issued by the Health Ministry said that sharing of items like notebooks, pens/pencil, eraser, water bottle amongst students should not be allowed.

Delhi has reported 2,34,701 cases for the novel coronavirus as of Thursday, including 31,721 active cases and 1,98,103 recoveries. A total of 4,877 have succumbed to the virus in the national capital, according to the data provided by the Delhi government.