New Delhi: Crucial Board examinations for classes 10 and 12 have been cancelled for this year by CBSE, CISCE and the state education boards, and the criteria for assessment of students are being worked out.
Annual exams for classes 1 to 10 were also scrapped and summer vacations announced after the onset of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India.
As the second wave calms down, with the number of daily new cases falling from the peak of 4.2 lakh to 60-70K, there are questions on when schools can reopen in physical mode.
The Centre on Friday gave a peek into its though process, saying that it will think of reopening schools after the majority of teachers are vaccinated and more scientific knowledge about the impact of coronavirus on children emerges.
“The time should come soon. But we must also consider how schools were reopened in foreign countries and had to close after the outbreak. We do not want to put our students and teachers in such a situation,” Niti Aayog (health) member VK Paul said during the press meet of Union health ministry.
A recent survey of World Health Organization and AIIMS revealed that children below 18 have also developed antibody against COVID-19 and may not be impacted more than adults by a possible third wave.
But according to Dr Paul, that does not mean schools can open and children don’t need to maintain social distancing.
He added that the finding regarding seropositivity rate of children is just one aspect of a much bigger picture.
“There are many things which we still do not know. Reopening schools is a different topic altogether as it is not only about the students, but it involves teachers, non-teaching staff etc. Herd immunity is just a conjecture. There are many things to consider like if the virus changes its form, today it is mild among children, but what if it becomes severe tomorrow,” Dr Paul said.
