Schools in Andhra Pradesh to reopen on Teachers' Day; special kits with face masks to be given to students

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools across the state from 5 September. According to a report by the Indian Express, Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed officials to be prepared for reopening of schools on the date. The directive came with a condition that mentioned, “hopefully the situation will be normal by then.” The day of reopening of schools in Andhra coincides with Teachers’ Day. The chief minister has instructed the officials to be geared up for the launch of YSR Vidhya Kanuka on the same day, reported India Today. Students will be given a kit containing a schoolbag, text and notebooks, cloth for three pairs of uniform, a pair of shoes, two pairs of socks and a belt. The report said that the kit will also have face masks and the Reddy has proposed that students will be trained on how to use them. The Board of Intermediate Education in Andhra Pradesh (AP BIE) had last month sought suggestions from students, teachers and parents on some of the important issues including the syllabus, reopening of schools, working days and the teaching method. All the stakeholders were asked to revert by the end of July. There has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh. The state has so far reported nearly 1,41,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The deadly virus has claimed lives of about 1,350 people in the state.