Kolkata, Feb 2 (PTI) The West Bengal government is exploring possibilities to reopen schools and begin classes in the higher grades from February 12 by conforming to COVID-19 protocols, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Tuesday.

Stating that nothing has been finalised as yet, Chatterjee said the Education Department would issue the necessary notification and those concerned would come to know when the schools reopen.

State-run and aided schools have been closed since March 17 last year since the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

"We are weighing the possibility of reopening schools, to start classes for standards 9-12 from February 12 following all COVID-19 standard safety precautions," he said.

The school authorities have held online classes for the students and tutorials were held by television channels for higher classes.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)