The district administration offices of the Kathmandu Valley have decided to allow schools and colleges to run physical classes from September 17.

A meeting of stakeholders, guardians, teachers, students and chiefs of education department of all local levels held at the District Administration Office, Kathmandu on Monday decided to collect local-level data about COVID-19 infection rate and analyze the risk situation at individual local levels to reopen schools.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Kalpana Ghimire Nepal, the local level education branch will submit the status of COVID-19 infection rate, details of vaccinated/unvaccinated teachers and staff along with the school operation structure to the District Covid 19 Crisis Management Center (DCCMC) by September 16.

DCCMC will give permission to reopen schools on the basis of the same report, Nepal informed.

“It is not mandatory for all schools to reopen,” said Nepal.

Similarly, Dhulikhel Municipality of Kavre district has decided to resume physical classes up to grade V from Sunday.

Education Committee of the municipality has sent letters to all schools to operate classes, junior classes in physical presence and others virtually. Madhav Prasad Sharma, education department head of the municipality, said they decided to adopt alternative learning method for classes above grade VI and operate physical classes for juniors.

The municipality has also instructed all schools to sanitise their classrooms and other premises, and to adopt health protocols while conducting physical classes.

The committee has asked local schools to maintain physical distance, mandate masks and manage hand sanitization.

The decision to resume physical classes comes amid complaints that the quality of virtual classes have been significantly unimpactful and impractical. There is also complaint that less than 40 percent children are attending online classes.