Amid being surfaced with the study that issued a prediction of the peak of the Covid-19 third wave from February first week, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department has planned to reopen the schools for the higher secondary students in view of the upcoming board exams. It has also been speculated that the state government will reopen the schools for the rest of the students from Class 1 to 9 next month. However, the final call would be taken by the Chief Minister and it will be made public when the government announces a new set of restrictions or relaxations for next month. 

The board exams for the students of Classes 10 to 12 are scheduled to be held in May and the department is in the view that the resumption of physical classes will benefit the students in preparing for the exams. On January 25 - Tuesday, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi held a virtual meeting with school principals, teachers, and bureaucrats and discussed the possibility of reopening schools in February. 

According to IANS, the school education department has already announced Board exams in the month of May and two revision tests to be held in January and March for students attending the board exams. However, the revision tests were cancelled after the schools were closed. Affirming that there is no take-back of the decision in conducting the board exams in May, the school education minister has recently said that the school education department wants to reopen the classes owing to the board exams. 

Speaking to IANS, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, "We have already recommended the reopening of school for students of classes 10-12 as the board examinations for these classes commence in May 2022. Teachers have also recommended that classes are reopened so that students get to cover the portions properly before the board examination is on." However, on the other hand, though the 'Illam Thedi Kalvi' scheme for the rest of the students are receiving a good response from students and parents, the government is also planning to reopen the schools for Classes 1-9 next month. 

While addressing the reporters on Thursday - January 27, Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, "The school education department has decided to reopen the schools for all classes from February 1 and the same has been recommended to the Chief Minister (to get his approval)," The minister was attending the marriage function of DMK leader TKS Elangovan's daughter and said that the department has completed the discussion of reopening the schools for all classes from next month.

He said, "The other states have reopened the schools for all classes and Tamil Nadu is going to follow them and necessary arrangements and measures have been made to conduct physical classes. The schools will function as usual without any shift basis. The biggest challenge that we have is to complete the portions and if we get the approval to reopen the schools from February 1st, the board exam will take place in May as scheduled."

The Minister further said that over 90% of students between the age group of 15-18 years are vaccinated against the pandemic and it can be affirmed that the physical classes and board exams will definitely take place. The state is expecting an announcement on the reopening of school for all classes during the next round of relaxations that will be unveiled before the end of this month.