Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government is looking at various options on the partial reopening of schools even though the state is grappling with a rise in COVID-19 cases. The General Education Department has informed the government regarding the possibility of reopening the schools from November 15.

In the first phase, schools will be reopened for the students of Classes X and XII in various batches as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs). As per the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry, the seating arrangement should be done in an order to ensure a distance of six ft between chairs and desks.

The final decision will be taken after discussing it with the health department. Classes will be avoided in areas with more COVID-19 cases and details have been collected from all districts regarding this. The decision to reopen the schools has been taken considering the concerns of various students and parents as SSLC and Plus Two exams are nearing.

Though the Central government had permitted the states to reopen schools after October 15 following the guidelines, various states were not ready. Schools were reopened only in Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry. Tamil Nadu has decided to reopen schools from November 16.