Even as the fear of Nipah virus continues to grip two districts in the state of Kerala after 12 people died and several others contracted the virus, the government has said that this will not affect the academic schedule of schools in the state.
Director of Public Instruction (DPI) Mohankumar told TNM that all the state schools will re-open on June 1 as scheduled.
"As of now, there is no change in the re-opening date. Only parts of Kozhikode and Malappuram districts are currently affected and so the schools in other districts will re-open as scheduled. The only concern is about the two affected districts, but so far we have not received a request from the district administration to extend the summer holidays. The district Collectors have been asked to submit a report and so far we understand that they don't have any objection with opening the schools on June 1," DPI said.
He added that all the precautionary measures are being taken in the affected regions to eradicate concerns of parents, if any.
Speaking to TNM, Indira Rajan, the general secretary of Kerala CBSE Schools Management Association said that none of the schools have sought for an extension of holidays so far.
"Till now, we haven't made a request to the board to extend the date of re-opening. No school management has reached out to us with this request as of now. If such a request does come in the next few days, we will take a decision then," Indira said.
The Hindu quoted EK Suresh Kumar, the Deputy Director of Education (Kozhikode) as saying that the department was taking all necessary precautions to ensure that students were safe.
The Health Department and the police have issued notices informing the public that there was no cause of worry with regard to Nipah virus. Saying that it is now only hyperpolarized, the notice assured that it was safe to travel to Kerala. "Extra cautious travelers may avoid the districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram," the notice stated.