FINALLY SCHOOL REOPEN (ALL THING)

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Explained: What will change for students, staff when schools reopen in India?

The Centre has permitted the reopening of schools in phases after October 15. However, the actual timing and manner of reopening will be decided by individual states.

A government school reopens in Chandigarh on September 21, 2020. (Express Photo: Kamleshwar Singh)

Schools across the country have been closed since mid-March, even before the coronavirus lockdown was imposed. On Monday (October 5), the Education Ministry issued guidelines for their reopening.

When are schools reopening?

The Union government has permitted the reopening of schools in phases after October 15. However, the actual timing and manner of reopening will be decided by individual states.

This means what students actually experience will vary depending on where they go to school.

When are schools reopening? What changes for students amid Covid-19?

For instance, Delhi has decided against bringing back students until the end of the month, despite the union government’s go-ahead. Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, has announced a phased reopening, but has left the final decision to the districts, based on the local Covid-19 situation.

So, do younger children go back to the classroom first, or do the older ones?

This too, has been left to the discretion of the state governments.

According to senior officers in the Education Ministry, the union government had already indicated its preference last month, when the Home Ministry permitted senior students of Classes 9 to 12 to meet their teachers in schools voluntarily.

However, if a state were to decide to bring back the youngest students first, the Education Ministry will not interfere, a senior officer told The Indian Express.

 

Who returns to the classroom first, the younger children or older ones?

What is the union government’s stand on attendance?

The Education and Home Ministries have categorically said that students will not be forced to attend classes in school.

“Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent,” the Ministry’s guidelines for reopening states. Those who choose not to go back to school can attend classes online. For schools that lack an ICT-enabled environment, teachers are expected to interact with students and parents on the phone about “on-going learning in the class and keep track of students through interview mode”.

Also in Explained | Schools in Delhi will not open before October 31, here is why

What is the Centre’s stand on attendance for students?

What would school life look like amid the pandemic?

Even if parents decide to send their children to school, they will not be going every day. Attendance could be rotational, on alternate days, or every two days.

On the days a student is at home, she will be asked to self-study chapters that are “essential but conceptually easier to understand”.

 

What will school life be like for students amid Covid-19?

In case of high enrolment numbers, schools can explore running in two shifts “by reducing time duration of school hours per shift, such that the school is able to manage with the same set of teachers in the overall school hours”.

When in school, the wearing of masks will be compulsory for students, teachers and staff. All students will have to follow a strict hand hygiene routine, and will sit six feet apart in classrooms.

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Sharing of notebooks, food and toys amongst students will be prohibited. Classes would be held outdoors on days when the weather is pleasant.

If possible, school bags for students of lower primary classes (I to V) will be discouraged and all necessary learning material may be kept in the classroom.

And what about for the staff?

As far as possible, parents will be encouraged to use their personal transport to drop children to school. Aged teachers and staff, and those living in containment zones will not be allowed to come in.

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What about assessments?

According to the Education Ministry’s guidelines, for at least two to three weeks after reopening, schools will not conduct any assessment. Even when they do, the pen-and-paper text format will be discouraged for students across all grades to “ensure emotional well-being of the students”.

What about school assessments for students?

“Assessments in the form of role plays, choreography, class quiz, puzzles and games, brochure designing, presentations, journals, portfolios, etc., may be preferred over routine pen-paper testing,” the Education Ministry’s guidelines state.

New Delhi: With the daily national coronavirus caseload dropping below 30,000, several states and UTs have decided to reopen schools that were closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some states are resuming normal classes gradually from January 1, some have decided to open schools only for senior students. Also Read - Rajasthan Man Dies 5 Days After Getting COVID Vaccine Dose; AEFI Panel Says Death Not Related to Jab

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had also issued guidelines on reopening of schools wherein states and UTs have been given powers to take decisions on resumption of classes in a graded manner. Also Read - Coronavirus: 5 COVID-19 Symptoms That Won’t Seem to go

In the guidelines, the MHA had said that the decision on reopening of schools shall be taken in consultation with the respective school/ institution management, based on their assessment of the situation. The MHA had stated that the online/ distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged in all schools. Also Read - Should People With Allergy Take Coronavirus Vaccine? All You Need to Know

Here is the list of the states that are planning to reopen schools from January

Bihar: All government schools and coaching centres in Bihar will reopen from January 4, 2021. As per the order, senior classes will reopen from January 4, and after reviewing the situation for 15 days, junior sections will also reopen.

Puducherry: All schools in Puducherry would be re- opened on January 4. Initially, the schools would have half-a-day classes from 10 AM to 1 PM and full-day classes from January 18. All the basic safety norms would be adopted by the institutions, Education Minister R Kamalakannan said

Karnataka: The Karnataka government permitted schools to resume classes for standard 10th & 12th from January 1. However, students who want to attend schools will need a written permission from their parents. Making the announcement, Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar also said that Vidyagama programme for Classes 6 to 9 will begin from January 1.

Assam: Similarly, the Assam Government has decided to reopen the schools and other educational institutions from the elementary level to the university level from January 1.

Pune: The schools in Pune Municipal Corporation will be reopened from January 4. Issuing an order, the Pune Municipal Corporation stated that the schools for students of 9th to 12th standard will reopen from 4 January. It also stated that all schools will have to follow the COVID-19 SOPs

New Delhi | Jagran Education Desk: Schools in Bihar, Puducherry, Pune and urban and rural areas of Nashik city reopened on Monday in a "restricted manner" after staying closed for nearly 10 months ever since the central government had imposed a nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Though the situation has improved over the last few months, several states and union territories (UTs), including Delhi, are still reluctant about reopening schools amid fears of the new COVID-19 strain. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has given its nod to reopen schools and educational institutions in a "graded manner". Here's a state-wise list on reopening of schools across the country:

Delhi

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia last month said that schools and colleges in the national capital were unlikely to reopen unless a vaccine for coronavirus arrives. He had announced on October 30 that schools will remain closed until further orders, saying parents were not in favour of sending their ward to schools yet.

Bihar

The Nitish Kumar government had allowed schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges, coaching centres, medical and engineering colleges to reopen from January 4.

The classes will commence with 50 per cent strength and all the institutions will have to follow Covid-19 protocol. The government will take a call on resuming junior classes after reviewing the situation on January 18.

As per the notification, the state education department will distribute free masks to every students and schools have been directed to follow all the guidelines pertaining to the pandemic and disaster management law along with social distancing guidelines.

Parents will have to give consent for their wards to attend the educational institutions and those choosing to attend classes online from home will be allowed to continue. Students will have to submit a self-declaration form detailing their travel history and medical condition.

Uttar Pradesh

The schools and colleges in Uttar Pradesh were reopened on December 7, with several safety guidelines set into place by the state government and the health department. It is mandatory for all students and school staff to follow strict social distancing, thermal checks at entry points and wear masks. 

Earlier this month, the Allahabad High Court expressed its concern about the reopening of schools in Uttar Pradesh amid the Covid-19 pandemic. "It has been informed that schools and colleges in the state of UP have been opened since December 7. It is a matter of concern whether the teachers and students would follow the Covid-19 guidelines. There is always a possibility that young children might violate the guidelines," a bench of justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar observed.   

Maharashtra

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Tuesday announced that schools in Mumbai will remain closed till January 15 in wake of the pandemic.

The state education department had earlier allowed schools to resume physical classes on alternate days for classes 9 to 12 from November 23. Most civic corporations, including Mumbai, Thane and Nashik did not allow reopening, but schools reopen in several other parts of the state.  

The schools in the urban and rural areas of Nashik city in Maharashtra will reopen from January 4 for the students of Classes 9 to 1. The private and public schools in Pune will also reopen from January 4 for Classes 9 to 12. 

Karnataka

Karnataka will open schools for the students studying in Classes 6 to 12. The students of Classes 6 to 9 will be required to show written consent from their parents.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has reopened schools for classes 10 and 12 from 18 December. Schools have been opened in Haryana for Classes 10 and 12 from December 14, whereas classes for students of classes 9 and 11 started from December 21.

Nagpur:

In Nagpur, the schools reopened from Monday for students from class 9-12. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had allowed the schools to reopen from January 4 in a restricted way.

Assam

Assam has decided to reopen the schools and all other educational institutes from January 1, 2021. All institutes from elementary to university level will be resuming normal functioning from January 1.

Puducherry

All schools across the Union Territory reopened from January 4. The schools will start with half-day classes in the starting and will resume full-day classes from January 18. 

Pune

The schools in Pune Municipal Corporation reopened from January 4. Issuing an order, the Pune Municipal Corporation stated that the schools for students of 9th to 12th standard will reopen from 4 January. 

Agartala:

Schools in Tripura's Agartala reopened for upper primary classes from January 4. The state government had issued a notice in this regard earlier.