E-Paper
Govt issues SOPs for reopening of schools
Schools will also have to ensure the presence of trained health professional like a doctor or nurse on campus or available on call. Closed indoor spaces will require adequate air circulation.
With schools set to reopen in a graded manner on October 15 after a nearly seven-month break, their management teams will have to ensure that all areas and fixtures on the premises, including water tanks, kitchens, canteens, washrooms, storage areas, laboratories and libraries are disinfected thoroughly to protect staff and students from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Schools will also have to ensure the presence of trained health professional like a doctor or nurse on campus or available on call. Closed indoor spaces will require adequate air circulation. Schools will also have to form emergency response teams and hygiene inspection teams when they reopen, according to a standard operating protocol prepared by the Union education ministry and released on Monday.
A distance of six feet has to be maintained between students, with one student per desk being the ideal. Classes can be held outdoors If the weather is pleasant. Schools will be strictly spitting-free zones. Schools have been given the option of calling in only a certain percentage of pupils at one time to avoid overcrowding. They have the option of holding extra shifts or tailor classes on the odd-even model. Schools will also work to communicate the safety measures to parents.
Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who released the guidelines on the basis of which states can prepare their own protocols, said no assessments or tests should be conducted for up to two to three weeks of a school reopening. Organising functions and events has also been barred. Time tables will be staggered as will be the entry and exits of student.
“States and UTs to prepare their own SOP regarding health and safety precaution for reopening of schools based on the SOP to be issued by the department of school education and literacy of the education ministry. States/UTs may adopt or adapt the SOP as per local context and requirements,” said Pokhriyal.
Educational institutions have been closed since March, when a nationwide lockdown was put in place to control the spread of the pandemic that has infected millions across the world and claimed more than one million lives so far. The government has allowed states and Union territories to open educational facilities in a graded manner starting on October 15; in Delhi, all schools will be closed for the rest of the month.
Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in New Delhi’s Rohini, said: “The SOPs are simple and easy to implement. Many schools, including ours, have already decided to follow all these norms once the schools will reopen in Delhi. We will have to create awareness among students and parents about the importance of masks, sanitisers and social distancing so that all these guidelines can be implemented without any hurdle once the schools reopen.”
The education ministry guidelines strongly emphasise the use of masks -- be it in classrooms or in common areas like canteens, libraries or labs.Even in the canteen, students have to keep a mask on while the food is being served and can remove it only when eating or drinking, an official said on condition of anonymity. Circles will be marked on the ground at drinking water and hand washing facilities to ensure distancing.
No outside vendor should be allowed to sell any eatables inside the school premises or at the entry gate/point. Thermal screening of students may be done by the bus conductor at the time of their boarding the bus. Sanitization of school transport on a regular basis at least twice a day – once before children board the transport and once after -- has been suggested. Private cabs or carpooling have to be discouraged as far as possible.
For air conditioning within the school, Central Public Works Department norms shall be followed, which prescribe a temperature setting in the range of 24-30°C, relative humidity in the range of 40-70% and provision for intake of fresh air and cross-ventilation.
“The problem is not opening of schools, the real challenge will be to ensure students follow Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, especially when you see adults around taking preventive measures too casually. Also, there is enough evidence to suggest that there is greater risk of passing on the infection in closed air-conditioned spaces. Kids themselves may not be very sick but once they come back home they might pass it on to the more vulnerable population such as their grandparents,” said Dr JS Bhasin, head of the paediatrics department at BLK Hospital in Delhi.
The guidelines also stress the need to sensitize students and staff, including those at hostels, on the need for social distancing.
The guidelines allow for changes in the academic plan, particularly those relating to vacations and exams, in the Covid-19-affected year.
Attendance requirements will be flexible and students who want to continue online learning can do so. Regular health check-ups should be organized. Appropriate protocols have to be followed in case an infection is detected.
The ministry has also suggested that teachers discuss with their students learning goals and the roadmap and methods they would employ to teach the curriculum. The guidelines also direct schools to focus on the needs of students from vulnerable sections like the homeless or migrants. The norms allow the use of diverse teaching resources, including volunteers. Steps have also been suggested to ensure that students maintain sound emotional health.
