Trichy: Though schools will open on November 1 for classes I to VIII, parents are free to decide whether they should send their children before or after Diwali which falls on November 4, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has said.
He said here on Sunday that they are not compelling students to come to school on the first day itself. “Schools will be open from November 1. But, we did not say that all students should come on that day and attendance will be compulsory. We said the same thing to students when schools opened for classes IX to XII also,” he clarified. He said it is customary to start anything from the first date of a month. He was aware of parents’ general opinion that schools can be reopened after Deepavali instead of November 1 and the matter had arisen even from his department.
Meanwhile, some private schools in the city have sought opinions from parents on the scheduled reopening by sending forms through WhatsApp. However, sources in government schools said headmasters are gearing up to reopen as announced by the government. The minister said school authorities have been asked to take the required precautionary measures before reopening. PWD authorities were also asked to check the existing infrastructure in all government schools.