Schools to reopen starting October 15! The Ministry of Education publishes guidelines for reopening – see details

Schools will reopen after COVID-19 closes! The Education Ministry published on Monday the guidelines for the reopening of schools in a phased manner from October 15. Reporting this, the Union Cabinet Minister of Education Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted saying that states and Union Territories should prepare their own Standard Operating Procedure for health. , hygiene and safety and learning with physical / social distancing.

According to the latest guidelines, students can also choose to take classes online rather than physically attending school, and precautions must be taken to prepare and serve midday meals in schools.

In discussing the guidelines, the Minister of Education further stated that students will only attend school physically with the consent of their parents. Those who do not wish to go to school can continue to take classes online. Schools, on the other hand, must guarantee flexibility in attendance.

Listed below are the other guidelines regarding the reopening of schools after the COVID-19 pandemic:

POE for reopening schools

• Schools shall organize and implement adequate procedures for cleaning and disinfecting facilities. The floor, classrooms, furniture, storage places, water tanks, bathrooms, all places on the school campus will be thoroughly disinfected.
• There should be adequate air flow in indoor areas.
• Schools are advised to form task teams such as emergency care and support, hygiene inspection, support of basic products, among others.
• The time of entry and exit of all those attending the school must be planned and social distancing must be maintained. Therefore, schools will have to come up with a new seating arrangement that conforms to social distancing guidelines.
• During all activities in schools, all staff members, workers, and students will be required to wear a face shield / mask at all times.
• The academic calendar must be planned including all classes, breaks and exams.
• It is the duty of the school to collect information on the current health status of students.
• Schools should have all contact information for the nearest emergency centers and health centers.
• If in the case, someone shows symptoms of COVID-19 infection, detention and isolation protocols must be followed as per government instructions.
• All precautions should be taken when preparing and serving midday meals in schools. The government suggested that the meals provided should be hot and well cooked.

Canopy, @EduMinOfIndia has published SOP / Guidelines for the reopening of schools. pic.twitter.com/pwJXZZd40w

– Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) October 5, 2020

In terms of the learning and teaching procedure, the government has notified that there will be no evaluation until 2-3 weeks after the school reopens. The center has promoted the use of ICT and online learning. Apart from this, the teachers are supposed to inform the students about the full curriculum and how the classes will be conducted. Additionally, schools have also been asked to ensure a smooth transition from teaching from online to offline. According to the guidelines, teachers are expected to educate students about the pandemic and ensure their emotional well-being.