COVID-19: States issue guidelines to reopen schools today; here's what you need to know

Guwahati: After a long period of lockdown due to the threat of COVID, schools in some states of India will conduct classes for students from standards 9-12. However, classes will be conducted with a long list of rules to be followed as per the Covid-19 protocol announced by the government.

Announcing its Unlock 4 guidelines, the MHA had permitted schools to reopen from September 21, Monday, but left the final call to the states. However, the Centre has made it explicitly clear that schools in containment zone areas shall not be allowed to reopen amid the outbreak.

As per the MHA directives, the schools will be allowed to operate only with 50% teaching and non-teaching staff, while only students from classes 9 to 12 can attend, that too on a voluntary basis.

Moreover, the students who decide to attend their classes shall have to get a permission slip signed by their parents or guardians. Stress has also been laid on the necessity to continue online classes -- for students who decide not to attend physically.

Schools shall also have to follow some of the standard procedures -- such as keeping thermal scanners at the entrance, and students, teachers, and other staff can enter only after temperature checks. Everyone entering the school premises shall have to wear masks, and regularly sanitize their hands or wash them following the 20-second rule.

Despite the Centre's permission to allow schools to reopen partially, many of the states have opted not to do so due to the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases. Some states, however, have allowed for the opening. The states who have allowed schools to partially reopen are as follows.

Assam's education department has allowed classes to resume in government schools for standards 9th to 12th for 15 days after which the government will conduct a review. Students will have to bring written consent from teachers. The attendance will be voluntary. Private schools in Assam have been allowed to decide on reopening.

Classes for 9th and 12th standard will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while 10th and 11th class students can attend on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

As per the directives, classrooms cannot have more than 20 students at any given time. There will be two batches -- while the first batch will attend from 9 am to noon, the second one will attend between 1 pm and 4 pm.

Meghalaya has suspended regular classes till September 30, but the students studying in Classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 can visit their schools to get doubts cleared by teachers.

Nagaland has also allowed students to attend on a "voluntary bases", and 50% of teaching and non-teaching staff outside containment zones will come to schools in Nagaland from September 21 onwards. "Students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers subject to the written consent of their parents or guardians, subject to strict adherence to all the provisions in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)," a Nagaland government order said.

Andhra Pradesh has allowed students of class 9-12 who live outside containment zones to attend school for guidance from teachers, after written consent from parents. Regular classes, however, will remain suspended till September 30.

The state's education minister has recently said that the government wants to reopen schools tentatively on October 5. The final decision will be arrived at depending on the pandemic conditions and the Unlock 5.0 guidelines.

In Haryana, students from Class 9 to 12 are permitted to attend school to get doubts cleared by teachers on a voluntary basis as per the SOP released by the state government. Teachers must take a Covid-19 test and have the Aarogya Setu app installed on their smartphones.

Himachal Pradesh is also allowing schools to partially reopen, and giving students of Classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 the option to come to school and get guidance from teachers. "The Cabinet gave its nod to open educational institutions outside containment zones in the state from September 21 as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with 50 percent teaching and non-teaching staff for students from standards IX to XII, provided the students are willing to take guidance from teachers. For this, the written consent of parents or guardians of the student is mandatory," a Himachal Pradesh government statement said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration's rules for school reopening include 50% attendance for staff up to Class 8. Up to Class VIII, only 50 percent of staff will report every day while students of Class IX, X, XI, and XII can come on a voluntary basis with 50 percent attendance. Online classes and other aspects of digital education will continue to function.

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