Why are Odisha schools not reopening on Monday?

Odisha schools are not reopening on Monday due to these reasons for Classes 1 to 7.

Odisha schools will now reopen from February 28 instead of 14 due to the upcoming panchayat elections in the state. Students from Classes 1 to 7 can attend online classes until physical classes resume. Elections to three-tier panchayats will take place in five phases on February 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24.

“The schools for Standard/ Class 1 to 7 which were scheduled to start from February 14 are allowed to open from the said date and students may not come to school. They can attend online classes. "However, all the teachers should come to school and ensure thorough cleaning and sanitization of the campus. The students should come to attend physical classes from February 28,” the letter said.

District collectors have asked for extra time from the state authorities to clean school compounds and carry out minor repairs.

The school authorities have said that the primary schools and upper primary schools have been shut down for around two years due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Moreover, the election process for Panchayati Raj Institutions is currently underway.

A large number of teaching and non-teaching staff of the school and education department are undergoing training for conducting the election or are engaged in related work at present, School and Mass Education Secretary BP Sethi said.