The state Cabinet on Thursday decided to resume in-person classes for Std I to Std IV students in rural areas and Std I to Std VII students in urban areas, from December 1. Pre-primary and residential schools will remain closed until further orders. After the meeting, school education minister Varsha Gaikwad said the welcome decision was taken after consulting the health department and state’s paediatric Covid-19 task force.

The government had allowed reopening of the higher standards from July-August this year in a phased manner as Covid-19 cases started declining. Schools and colleges are currently holding physical classes as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).  “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and my Cabinet colleagues approved the proposal,” Gaikwad said. City schools, however, said they would not be able to welcome primary students from December 1, while parents demand to know why pre-primary students have been left out.