12 Things To Know About The Guidelines For Schools Reopening In India

COVID-19 pandemic had shut the schools and colleges for about eight months now. Although full-fledged online classes and exams were going on, the digital divide and other unavoidable social conditions, deprived many students of attending regular classes. But now with the dip in the positive cases and the COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, there is a ray of hope as many states are planning to reopen the schools and colleges. However, considering the fact that COVID-19 is still equally dangerous and precautions need to be in place, there are various protocols that institutions will have to follow the ensure the safety of the students and faculty.

So here are some important things that you must know about the schools reopening in India:

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1. In which states are schools reopening? Kerala has partially reopened its schools for 10th and 12th standard students from January 1, 2021. The classes are going on in restricted and phased manner keeping in mind the COVID-19 precautions. Moreover, Karnataka too has reopened its schools from January 1 for class 6th to 12th. Assam has reopened all its schools and colleges from January 1 while the Odisha government will open the classes for class 10th and 12th from January 8.
2. In addition to this, in Bihar, all the schools, coaching institutes and colleges have reopened in a restricted manner from January 4. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and some other states have been running their schools since October or December in a phased manner. However, the Delhi government is planning to open its institutions by the end of January.
3. Guidelines on attendance: The Education and Home Ministries have made it clear that attendance of students is not compulsory. Students must attend offline classes with parental consent. If a student wants to attend online classes, the institution must provide access to e-learning materials and online classes.
4. Moreover, the ministries have also said that if a school lacks ICT facility, the teachers must keep the student (who prefers online studies) and his/her parent updated about the lessons going on in the classes and also interact with the student through an interview.
5. Guidelines on the number of classes: Classes should run with a capacity of 50 per cent of total students in the class. Attendance of the students will be rotational, held on alternate days or every two days. Schools can also consider running classes in two shifts by reducing the time duration of each shift. The days when students are at home, teachers must ask them to study the lessons that are easy to understand. As per the UGC guidelines, institutions might remain open for longer hours and run six days a week to accommodate more students and classes.
6. Other precautions to ensure social distancing: As per the UGC guidelines, it is mandatory for everyone in the school to wear masks. A class will be divided into different sections and the in-person classes of each section will be held on a rotational basis. Cultural activities and meetings will not be allowed however extra-curricular activities and sports that can maintain social distancing can be performed. Students and teachers testing positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed inside the campus.
7. Regular disinfection of the campus is mandatory to declare it safe. Temperature screening of the students and staff should be done regularly. Drinking water, hand-washing and healthcare facilities should be available in every institution.
8. Hostel reopening guidelines: UGC has advised against reopening the hostels. And if hostels reopen, they must strictly follow some guidelines:
   a. No sharing of rooms or beds will be allowed. This means not all hostellers will be allowed to return.
   b. Institutions must lay out a plan to prioritise the return of some hostellers.
   c. 14-day quarantine is necessary for every hosteller who returns to the hostels. Students who are detected with COVID-19 will not be allowed to stay in the hostel. This means COVID-19 negative reports might be mandatory.
   d. Limited visits to the markets will be allowed to the hostellers. Institutions must ensure that all the essential items are available within the campus.
9. There are guidelines on observing precautions if teachers and students living within the campus are found positive. The patient must be immediately isolated and the institution must have arrangements for providing healthcare support ready in case of such emergencies. No student or faculty member should be allowed near the residential area of the campus where COVID-19 cases have been detected. "Measures like holding no class, not leaving the rooms for hostellers, if applicable, no take away arrangement of food from mess etc. may be enforced, depending upon the severity of the situation,”  the guidelines said.
10. Guidelines for University students: As far as Universities are concerned, the research scholars, post-graduate students of science and technological fields and the final year graduation students (who are applying for placements) might only be allowed in the colleges. Other students must attend online classes and can arrange an in-person meeting with the teachers in small groups.
11. Guidelines about examinations: Offline school assessments are still prohibited. As per the Education Ministry’s guidelines, schools must avoid conducting assessments within two-three weeks of re-opening, Even if they do, the pen and paper model will be discouraged. Assessments can be done on the basis of other activities like choreography, class quiz, puzzles, games etc.
12. As per the Education Ministry guidelines, parents will be encouraged to drop their children to school in personal vehicles. Teachers and staffs from containment zones will not be allowed in the institutions.

Picture Credit: The Week

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