Tripura shuts schools, colleges as COVID cases surge

By PTI
AGARTALA: The Tripura government on Friday announced the suspension of physical attendance of students in all schools, colleges and universities from April 17 due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

The state administration a week ago had suspended classroom teaching of standard 1 and 2 in all schools across the state for an indefinite period for the same reason.

Schools reopened for students in Tripura in various phases since December 8 after they were closed in the wake of the pandemic in March last year.

“In view of the recent surge in COVID cases in the state and requests from the guardians of students, the state government has decided to close all educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities,” Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath told reporters.

Nath, who is also the cabinet spokesperson, said that the secondary examination of schools in Tripura is scheduled to start on May 19 and the higher secondary examination on May 18.

“We are not saying right now if the secondary and the higher secondary exams would be postponed. It will depend on the situation,” he said.

He said that the Centre has cancelled the secondary examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and deferred the higher secondary examination.

“The annual examination of students from class 3 to class 8 is scheduled to begin from April 28. A decision will be made based on the situation in this case as well. Besides, a decision on the current semester’s examination in colleges will be made after a meeting with vice-chancellors of the universities,” Nath added.

The minister said that the ongoing examinations of schools, colleges, technical and professional institutions and universities would continue as notified.

However, 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff would attend their duties on working days and on examination days, they would come as per the requirement of the head of the institutes, he said.

About five lakh pupils study in around 4400 institutes including 22 degree colleges and three universities in Tripura.