Guwahati: In accordance with the Centre's directives, the Assam Government has released standard operating procedure (SOP) to reopen schools and other educational institutes from September 21 onwards. An order issued by the principal secretary to the state secondary education department B Kalyan Chakravarthy stated that the SOP will come into effect from September 21 next.
The education department representatives will be holding regular conferences with deputy commissioners, after reopening the institutions. The situation shall be reviewed again after 15 days have elapsed in this fashion.
As per the guidelines issued by the Education Department, the students from Classes 9- 12 will be allowed to attend schools and colleges, while the other classes shall remain suspended.
The SOPs further stated that the classes will be conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For 10-11 standard students, the classes will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
"For every class, the students should be divided into two batches, so that, in any class, the total number of students is less than 20. The first batch of students will come to school from 9-12 am, for the second batch of students, classes will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm," read the SOP.
It further added that the respective school authority will ensure that before the commencement of the classes for the second batch, the first batch students are sent back home.
"Students will come to the school provided their parents have no objection and as such written undertaking/confirmation should be produced in the schools," the SOP added.
Teachers with severe co-morbid conditions such as chronic kidney disease, type-two diabetics with severe condition, heart surgery, and suffering from cancer will be exempted from conducting classes, the guidelines added.
Meanwhile, the schools have been asked in the SOP to specifically ensure the continuation of online and distance learning, despite the reopening of the educational institutions, due to the prevailing situation.