After a gap of nearly six months, the schools in the country are set to reopen partially from today.
The coronavirus pandemic forced authorities to shut educational institutes across the country to contain the spread of the deadly disease which has so far infected 54,00,620 people, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
As part of Unlock 4, the Centre had allowed the partial reopening of schools and said that students of Classes 9 and 12 can return purely on a voluntary basis.
Preparations for maintaining social distancing and facilities for sanitization are being done at the Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 in Jammu, ahead of the scheduled reopening of schools on September 21, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government Ranbhir higher secondary school Principal Anjali Gupta said, “We have got instructions from the director school of education to open the school partially. “Accordingly, those students who are facing problems with online classes due to network problems, or those who don’t have android phones, so they must be given platform that they come to schools voluntarily to seek guidance from teachers,” she said.
With schools and colleges in the country are reopening today, many academicians feel that the move will bring much-needed relief to students who have been stuck at home for a long time due to the pandemic. Even as online classes have benefited a considerable number of students, especially from the elite private schools, many have struggled to adjust to this new stay-at-home lifestyle. Many educators said that the students are being affected physically as well as emotionally as they are not able to meet their friends and play outdoors now.
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), which is a system of premier central government schools in India, has released the guidelines:
According to the guidelines, class 11 and 12 students will be allowed to visit the schools on Monday and Tuesday while class 10 students can come on Wednesday and Thursday. Class 9 students did not allow to visit their schools on Friday and Saturday.
It will be compulsory for the students to wear masks and use hand sanitizer, the guidelines stated, adding that no food or beverages will be provided in the campus.
“States and union territories (UTs) may permit up to 50 per cent of teaching and non- teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching/ tele- counselling related work in areas outside containment zones only with effect from 21st September 2020,” the central government said in its Unlock 4.0 guidelines.
