As part of Unlock 5.0, many schools for classes 9th to 12th opened in some states. States like Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and Punjab re-opened schools from 19 October, after remaining close for about six months due to lockdown.
The state government granted permission to open institutes outside contaminated zones as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines. Strict guidelines have been issued by the state authorities in this regard and everyone has been asked to follow it.
UTTAR PRADESH
No student will be allowed to attend the school without a mask and hand sanitizer; their thermal scanning would be done at the gate. Students will only be allowed to attend classes after furnishing written permission from their parents or guardians.
Social distancing will be maintained inside the school, Only a single child will be allowed to sit on a single bench. Students will sit at a distance of 6 feet from each other.
Schools will run in shifts and proper attention will be paid to the health of students. In the first shift, classes for 9 and 10 standards will be held. Classes for 11 and 12 standards will be held in the second shift. 50 percent of the students will be called in every class on one day and the remaining 50 percent the next day.
Directives have also been issued to continue online teaching and encouraging it. Priority should be given to calling those students to school who do not have access to online teaching. It was mostly government schools that opened – for classes 9th to 12th. Private schools are expected to gradually follow the suit, though its parent’s opinion that matters the most. A majority of parents have told the school they are not comfortable sending their children to school and exposing them to the pandemic as it’s still not safe.
Also Read : UNLOCK 3.0 GUIDELINES: SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES REMAIN SHUT
PUNJAB
Schools for students of Classes 9 to 12 reopened in the areas outside containment zones in the state. Schools will open for three hours a day and only students of Classes 9 to 12 will be allowed entry to take physical classes.
Attendance won’t be compulsory, Online classes shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and be encouraged.
The schools, which are being allowed to open will have to mandatorily follow the standard operating procedures, to be issued by the School Education Department.
Gurdeep Kumar, principal of a school, said at present, the lockout is almost over and many activities were going on as usual. Just as precautions are being taken for other activities, care will be taken in schools to prevent COVID-19
SIKKIM
The government has reopened all schools in a graded manner. The winter holidays will be done away with completely this year, and classes will be held six days a week, with Saturday being a half day. All notified government holidays, however, will be in place.
According to the calendar, students of classes 11 and 12 will be able to attend schools on a voluntary basis from October 19, but each of them will have to carry written permission from parents or guardians.
The Union Ministry of Education Ministry on October 5 issued guidelines for reopening of schools after October 15 during the Unlock 5 phase. As per the guidelines, schools and coaching institutions can open in a graded manner after October 15 in some states. However, the decision on whether to reopen educational institutions rests with States and Union Territories (UTs)
The cases are still rising. The many States still won’t consider opening schools for some time and it’s not advisable also. Sending kids to school in a time of pandemic as we all know is not safe.
