Centre Plans To Reopen Schools Zone-Wise In July With 30% Attendance

The Central Government is planning on reopening schools zone-wise throughout the country in late July. After months of lockdown, schools will reopen with only 30% strength and only students from class 8 to class 12 will attend the classes.

The Central Government is working closely with the National Council of Education and Research Training (NCERT) to jot down the guidelines for the reopening of schools. The HRD ministry will announce guidelines for schools to follow after discussions with other ministries, and will include a teachers' training module.

"If social distancing needs to be maintained in a classroom, and if only 30% students are able to come, we need to see what steps need to be taken to bring in a proper system when schools reopen," Pokhriyal had said. "The lives of teachers and students are more important right now."

Maharashtra on the other hand, though worst-hit by the coronavirus, is planning on reopening schools zone-wise, from the 15th of June, in the state.

Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra’s Education Minister said that schools outside the contaminated areas will open first and schools in the red zones will open gradually from 26th June onwards. The minister further said that while the schools have switched to e-learning, several students from rural areas and those belonging to the economically weaker sections are still suffering as they do not have smartphones or access to the internet and for such students classroom lessons are vital.

Schools post COVID-19 will look and function in a completely different manner. They will have to follow the safety and hygiene guidelines as issued by the ministry. Students will have to wear masks to school and follow social distancing protocols. Schools will be sanitised everyday and toilets will be cleaned twice a day. Canteens will be shut for some time and students will be encouraged to have lunch in their classrooms.

Morning assembly will be prohibited for the first few months and parents won’t be allowed inside the campus. Sanitising stations would be set up at different places in the school. Different entry and exit points for students to ensure there is no crowding in one place.

Even with all these guidelines and the planning, the government said that they understand parents and students are worried and scared about coming to school. So, attendance will not be compulsory for some time keeping the risks in mind.