At least two schools have suspended in-person instructions for Classes IX to XII and several others are being flooded with requests from parents to do so because of an alarming rise in the number of Covid cases.

While Sanskrit Collegiate School, a government-run institution in central Calcutta, started holding classes on digital platforms on Thursday, Jadavpur Vidyapith, a government-aided school, has been holding online classes from April 5.

Sanskrit Collegiate School will continue online classes till April 16 and Jadavpur Vidyapith till April 10.

Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, the headmaster of Sanskrit Collegiate School, said they stopped in-person classes following an appeal from the guardians, who are scared to send their wards to the school amid rising Covid cases.

“They are worried about using public transport. Physical distancing can be hardly maintained on buses and trains. So, we have decided to suspend in-person classes and will soon review the situation,” said Mukhopadhyay.

Several other schools have stopped short of taking such decisions in absence of any government directive.

The headmistress of a girls’ school said parents are appealing to switch to online classes entirely.

“In fact, we are looking forward to a government directive on closure,” she said.

Schools in Bengal had reopened on February 12 for students of Classes IX to XII after being shut from March last year as a precaution against Covid-19.

The rising number of Covid cases from the middle of March this year has led to a sharp dip in attendance, said an official of the education department.

He said the heads of the institutions are repeatedly requesting through the district inspectors (DI) of schools to suspend scrap in-person classes as the situation is getting worse.

“Although we have not issued any centralised order till date about doing away with physical classes, the schools have been empowered to take steps they deem fit,” he said.

An official of Sanskrit Collegiate School said at least three teachers of the school had tested positive and were in home isolation.

According to him, when the classes had resumed on February 12, on average 100 students were attending classes. “Over the past few days the number came down to five,” he said.

Jadavpur Vidyapith recorded the presence of over 400 students on an average when the classes resumed. “Over the past few days the figure has come down to 50,” said an official of the school.

Headmaster Parimal Bhattacharya said: “Chances are that classes will be held online for the students of Classes IX and X. We intend to bring students of only Class XI in smaller groups as their practical classes are due.”

The practical classes and exams of those in Class XII are already over, he added.

An official of the school education department said, concerns over using public transport and lack of consistent sanitisation drive at schools are making the parents jittery.

“Many were sending their kids to the schools as the Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations will be held in June. But considering the sharp rise in cases, they are now doubting whether the board exams can be held at all on time and have stopped sending their wards,” said the headmaster of a school in south Calcutta.

Suvrajit Dutta, the headmaster of Hindu School, said they have convened a meeting of the academic council on April 12 to decide on how the classes would be held from April 19.

“Guardians want that physical classes be reduced to thrice a week...,” said Dutta.

JU roster

Jadavpur University has told its officers that they can attend office on the campus three days a week, instead of five as informed earlier, following a sharp rise in Covid cases.

The relaxation was given to non-teaching employees from last week.