The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Thursday issued new orders allowing public and private schools in the city area to reopen starting January 4 for classes 9 to 12. The previous order prohibited the reopening of schools until January due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar issued the orders allowing schools and the school bus service to resume operations in the city from January 4. According to the order, students in classes 9-12 will have to attend classes in person.
“In accordance with the instructions of the state department of education and sports, classes for 9-12 students will be open and all standard operating procedures will be followed,” said Kumar. The order also prescribed certain guidelines such as thermal scans and oximeters in school facilities, RT-PCR tests for teachers and non-teaching staff, one student in each bank to maintain social distancing. Schools have also been advised to keep school buses clean repeatedly and to take parental written permission to send their children to educational institutions.
Previously, the school department of the Pune civic body had carried out the basic preparation of sanitation of the school facilities considering that the schools can reopen from December 14. However, the PMC received a negative response from the administration of several private schools and parents about the resumption of classes and postponed decision.
GUIDELINES
– Keep buses clean
– One student in each bank
-Keep toilets clean and disinfected repeatedly
– The classrooms should not be closed. Windows and doors must be kept open
-To prepare for the reopening of the school, teachers and non-teaching staff must be present at the school beginning December 28.
