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Chandigarh schools to reopen from today for Class 10 onwards
After remaining closed since January 11 amid the third Covid wave, schools in Chandigarh will reopen for Classes 10 to 12 for physical classes from Tuesday onwards
After remaining closed since January 11 amid the third Covid wave, schools in Chandigarh will reopen for Classes 10 to 12 for physical classes from Tuesday onwards.
As per detailed instructions issued by UT director of school education Palika Arora on Monday, students above the age of 15 who have received at least one vaccine dose will be allowed to attend offline classes. Online classes will also continue for these classes and those coming to school will also have to carry a consent form signed by their parents. Attendance will not be mandatory.
All teachers will also have to start coming to school from now and all teaching and non-teaching staff need be fully vaccinated. School heads however may exempt any staff or students from attending physically on medical grounds, if required. All Covid guidelines and SOPs will have to be adhered to.
Most private schools are also likely to open from Tuesday. Principal of St Johns High School in Sector 26, Kavita Das, said that they will reopen from Tuesday and parents have been informed about the requirements from the school’s side.
Director of Strawberry Fields High School in Sector 26, Atul Khanna, added that they will also open from Tuesday, but they expect that the initial response from students to be lukewarm. “Due to the cold weather and because it’s just the beginning, we don’t expect a high turnout from the first day itself. But, with the board exams approaching, we expect that numbers will increase in the coming days,” he added.
President of the Independent School Association, HS Mamik, added that while this is the right move, schools must also be opened for the junior classes. “Many parents want to send their children to school now as the number of Covid cases are dipping. The association is speaking to the UT education department officials seeking more relaxations,” he said.
Universities, colleges to reopen as well
Chandigarh The higher education department, Chandigarh, on Monday issued detailed orders for the reopening of higher educational institutions in the city from Tuesday.
The order comes after the UT administration last week allowed universities and colleges to reopen from February 1. The order stated that all students in the age group of 15 to 18 attending physical classes should have received at least the first vaccine dose those who are 18-years-old and above should be fully vaccinated.
The students returning to hostels will have to produce a negative RT-PCR test report. Also, public libraries and their branches and coaching centres have been allowed to open at 50% of their capacity.
All institutions have been instructed to followed Covid appropriate behaviour as prescribed by the government of India and Chandigarh administration.
While Punjab Engineering College has allowed PhD and MTech students to report to campus, Panjab University (PU) is yet to decide on the reopening of the campus. The semester exams at PU and affiliated colleges are currently underway.
