The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in its Unlock 4 guidelines, has allowed the states to reopen schools from September 21 if the states really want to. But then, reopening of schools is not mandatory. Given the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country, several states have decided not to reopen the schools. In Assam, while the State government has announced its decision to reopen schools, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made it amply clear that it was not mandatory for students to attend. This is despite the fact that Dispur has released a standard operating procedure (SOP) on how to reopen schools from Monday. What however is creating a lot of confusion in the minds of the guardians is that students would have to carry consent letters from parents. Why a consent letter is required has not been clarified. While the minister has said that only 50 per cent teachers would attend schools every day, the government will also conduct Covid tests on 10 per cent students and teachers on a daily basis. If more Covid-positive cases are detected in a particular school, the headmaster or principal will consult district administration on continuing classes. Across the country, different states have taken different stands. The Delhi government has said schools in the national capital will reopen only on October 5. Karnataka has announced partial reopening of schools from Monday, but regular classes will not resume and only senior students can attend schools if they want. Haryana has followed Delhi's stand, saying only senior students can visit schools if they need guidance, but schools will remain closed. In Andhra Pradesh, only public, private and aided educational institutions outside containment zones will reopen on Monday. While schools in Kashmir will reopen on Monday, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, West Bengal will not resume classes. Assam Education Minister Sarma has meanwhile said that if schools do not reopen at least for higher classes, students from Assam will not be able to successfully compete in the all-India competitive exams like NEET and JEE in 2021. That is a valid point. But whether anybody can ensure that students will remain free from contacting Covid-19 while attending school is the biggest question now.