Mizoram on Tuesday formally re-opened schools for all classes from primary to higher secondary levels two years after their closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An official of the state education department said that regular classes for the 2022-2023 academic session began on Tuesday in all schools, except some private schools, in strict adherence to the standard operating procedure. Students sang the Mizo devotional and patriotic song "Aw nang, kan Lal kan Pathian" or "Ro min rel sak ang che" (Be Thou our Counsellor) before classes began as directed by the government, he said.
The government had asked all schools, private and government, to sing the song composed by renowned Mizo writer and composer Rokunga at school assemblies or before classes commenced. State Education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte congratulated teachers and students on resuming their regular classes. During public gatherings at ?inghmun, Upper Sakawrdai and Vaitin villages, he expressed happiness over the reopening of schools after two years. He said that students have been greatly impacted by the closure due to the pandemic although online classes were conducted during it. Schools have been shut in Mizoram from March, 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19.
Although they re-opened for students of certain classes for a certain period in 2021, all schools were closed again from January 8 this year, except for students of classes 10 and 12 as they were writing their board examinations. The Mizoram government is also planning to reopen universities, colleges and other higher institutions for all classes from July, officials said. The state government is also mulling to introduce common school uniforms for government schools, he sad. Ralte had recently said that the government is taking steps to introduce common uniforms in primary, middle and high schools run by it from the 2023-2024 academic session.
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