Puducherry suspends on-campus classes for students of classes I-IX until further notice

On-campus classes for students of class I to IX in all schools across Puducherry will remain suspended from January 10 onwards in the wake of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, a press communique from the office of home and education minister A Namassivayam stated recently.

This order will remain in effect until further notice and students will be attending online classes during the period for which in-person classes remain suspended, the communique from the minister’s office added.

The director of school education in the union territory, P T Rudra Goud, said that all schools, including the ones run privately, would remain closed in view of a ‘surge in the number of daily (COVID-19) cases’ until further orders.

A spokesperson of the department of health in Puducherry had recently told PTI that the department had recommended the government to declare a holiday for the schools conducting classes for students of classes I to IX in the wake of a rise in fresh cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Puducherry resumed on-campus classes for students of classes I to IX on December 4 after a significant drop was reported in the cases of COVID-19. However, several fresh cases of infection were reported in the past few days, compelling the administration to take precautionary measures. A total of 444 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in the union territory from the morning of January 8 to January 9 morning, raising concern.

In another development, the government has already announced that the 25th National Youth Festival – to be held in Puducherry – will be inaugurated virtually on January 12 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Delhi.

The five-day festival will celebrate the 159th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The festival will be attended by youth representing each and every district of the country.

“The Prime Minister has hand-picked Puducherry as the venue for the festival. The festival will be a great opportunity to showcase the potential of the place. The Centre will provide all assistance in whatever manner possible to the UT,” Union minister for information and broadcasting, youth affairs and sports Anurag Thakur said after unveiling the festival logo and mascot.