New Delhi: The Center may allow educational institutions, including schools and colleges across the country, to reopen from September 1. Schools will be opened in different phases between September 1 and November 14. The central government will release guidelines on opening schools in late August. At the same time, it may give states the power to decide when to open schools, taking into account the potential for COVID expansion.
Classes 10,11,12 in schools will be allowed to function for the first fifteen days. Then classes 6 to 9 will start functioning. Primary and pre-primary classes will not open soon as Covid preventive measures could not be fully implemented once the younger children reach the school.
A committee of secretaries of various ministries chaired by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan yesterday discussed the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development’s proposal to open schools. India will follow the Swiss model of successfully opening schools after Covid. If the school has four divisions at each level, there will be two divisions at one time and the other two divisions at another time.
Seating children in classes will keep the social distance. Two children may be allowed to sit only six feet apart. Morning assembly, sports period, and sports competitions may not be allowed in the first phase. The shift will be introduced in schools. The shift will be from 8 to 11 in the morning and from 12 to 3 in the morning. One hour of the break will be allowed to sanitize the school. Only 33% of teaching and non-teaching staff will be allowed in school at one time.
Covid had requested the central government to allow states with low prevalence to open schools. Kerala had demanded that educational institutions should be allowed to open from September. In view of all these requirements, the Central Government has decided to allow the opening of educational institutions from Unlock 4.
