The private schools' federation has on Monday urged the Tamil Nadu government to reopen the schools in the state for physical classes. The move has come days after neighbouring Puducherry has decided to resume the schools for the students from 9 to 12. The demand has been placed before the state government in parallel with the growing requests from the parents and students to reopen the schools amid the predictions of the emergence of the COVID-19 third wave. 

The Federation of Association of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu has urged the state government to reopen the schools. The federation has also placed a slew of demands on the state government concerning the private schools and their operations. Besides demanding the government to reopen the schools, the federation has also demanded the government to permit them to receive full term fees from the students. The federation has also requested the government not to permit the students to enrol in other schools without transfer certification. 

Why does the federation demand school reopening?

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Secretary of Federation DC Elangovan said, "We have requested the Tamil Nadu government to reopen schools.  The schools have been conducting online classes. However, there is only 20% reach, and online classes haven't reached well for children in rural areas. Hence, the only effective way is proper classroom education." The members of the federation had met Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi at the Secretariat and placed their demands.

Addressing further, Elangovan stated that the minister has said he will take necessary steps to reopen schools for at least Classes 10, 11, and 12. "We have assured that we are ready to take classes based on a shift basis", Elangovan added as the demands had stirred expectations among the students and parents and some reports suggest that the state government would highly consider reopening schools for secondary and higher secondary by the first week of August.

The federation has also requested the school education minister to initiate action on the issuance of transfer certificates to the students. One of the officials of the federation, after meeting the minister, said, "Transfer certificates are mandatory and if in case a student doesn't acquire proper transfer certification, there would be a gap in their education. If they do not pay the fees for the academics and decided to move to another school with transfer certificates, it causes administration issues." 

The federation has further urged the state government to provide representation for it in the new syllabus formation committee and related committees. The members had also demanded the government to organize Covid-19 vaccination camps in the private schools with the view of vaccinating the teachers and staff members. Besides unfolding several demands to the state government, the federation has also put out a key demand to the Union government concerning the certification and recognition of the schools. 

The federation has demanded the Union government to extend the validity of the recognition provided for each school by three years by taking the COVID-19 pandemic into account. They had demanded the government to provide permanent recognition to schools that are functioning for more than ten years. The schools in Tamil Nadu are being closed for more than a year in light of the first and second waves of the pandemic. 

The students are bracing up the new normal and settled down for virtual learning as the schools are conducting online classes for them. The state government has recently declared students from Class 1 to 8 all pass and it also has cancelled the board exams for the secondary and higher secondary classes in light of the pandemic. On the other hand, the colleges and universities are majorly closed and recently, the state government has announced that colleges and varsities can begin the admission process from August 1, 2021. 

What's the stand of the School Education Minister?

The School Education Minister and the state government have till now shown no signs of reopening the schools in the state and with a warning from the medical experts over the third wave of the pandemic, the government will face an ordeal in taking a final decision of whether or not to reopen the schools. Till now, the school education minister has said that a final call on reopening the schools will be taken after the lockdown is fully lifted, which means when the pandemic comes under control. The government is also in a state of addressing a menace where the students, those who can't avail online classes, are turning into daily-wage workers to aid the financial distress of their families amid the pandemic and lockdown.