Tamil Nadu government cancels decision to reopen schools 

Chennai: Days after seeking the views of parents, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday reversed its move to reopen schools from November 16 for classes 9-12 and said they shall continue to remain closed. 

While colleges were also earlier scheduled to function from November 16 , the government said colleges and varsities shall reopen from December 2 only for research scholars and final year postgraduate students of science and technology streams. 

"The opening of colleges for all other courses will be announced later," the government said in an official release, adding hostels would be opened only for those students who shall resume studies from next month. 

Disclosing the outcome of state-wide consultations held with parents of private, government and aided schools on November 9 on starting classes for the 2020-21 academic year for higher standards, the government said the opinion was divided. 

Parents of some schools wanted the institutions to reopen, but others were against such a move in view of the coronavirus pandemic and the school education department analysed the opnions holistically.