Maharashtra schools reopening: Majority of parents not in favor, reveals survey

However, 11 per cent of citizens said, Yes (will send from January 24) and 16 per cent said they are already sending their children (to school), survey informed.

Maharashtra School Reopening: The government of Maharashtra has recently announced its decision to reopen schools in the state from January 24. However, according to PTI, nearly 62 per cent of surveyed parents in Maharashtra are unwilling to send their children to school from January 24. The survey was conducted by an online community platform LocalCircle across tier-I, tier-II/III and tier-IV cities of the state that received 4,976 responses. The survey revealed, out of the total, 67 per cent of respondents were men and the remaining 33 per cent women.

However, 11 per cent of citizens said, Yes (will send from January 24) and 16 per cent said they are already sending their children (to school), LocalCircles informed.

Amid the rising cases of the novel coronavirus and its variant Omicron, the state order closure of schools until February 15. However, on January 20, the state education minister, contrary to an earlier decision, announced that schools in the state for a 1st-12th standard will reopen from January 24.

While the BMC has allowed schools to reopen in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government has allowed local bodies to take the decision on reopening schools after assessing the COVID-19 situation in their respective areas. However, students will not be forced to attend physical classes where schools reopen.

Meanwhile, in cities such as Pune and Aurangabad, it has been decided to keep schools shut while classes continue in the online mode.

The platform also said it will share the findings of this survey with Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare so that citizens' pulse is taken into account for Maharashtra as well as it is used as a reference as other states consider reopening schools.

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