Fact Check: Is Nagaland planning to reopen schools in October?

Guwahati: if a pamphlet that is being widely circulated on social media is to be believed, the Nagaland Government is gearing up with a four-point plan to reopen its schools from the 9-12 standards from the month of October onwards.

The pamphlet that has been circulating on social media, states that in the first part of the opening process, a teachers' orientation program shall be held.

Step 2 will be fumigation of school and the graphic states that "all schools (are) to be fumigated with machines."

In the third step, pedal sanitizers will be installed in all schools, classrooms will be prepared with a minimum of 3 feet distance between two benches, and the schools will follow a 2-shift system if the number of a number of enrolled students is more than 10, states the pamphlet.

In the fourth step, the Government will reopen the classes 9 through 12 by following a rigid set of instructions, the pamphlet claims.

As per the pamphlet, prohibitions will include eating inside the school building. It further states that school toilets "have to be disinfected with sodium Hypochlorite every morning before commencement of classes."

However, the Government has clarified that this is a piece of rough work created with 'dummy dates' for the purpose of discussions at a higher level. Thus, it could be easily used to mislead netizens who have been scouring the internet for news related to the reopening of schools after the extended lockdown induced by the coronavirus.

Clarifying that the pamphlet is not an official declaration of the reopening of schools, Principal Director of School Education, Shanavas C, said the department's attention has been drawn to unauthorized information being circulated on social media regarding re-opening of schools in Nagaland for classes 9 to 12 from the month of October.

Advising everyone not to circulate the "unauthorized pamphlet" and also not to be misled by such unauthorized information, Shanavas also warned that appropriate disciplinary action would be initiated against the staff who leaked the rough work to unauthorized persons without the approval of the competent authority.

The DoSE, in July, had warned schools that reopening of schools in any manner in violation of the 'lockdown order' is strictly prohibited.

Also Watch: WATCH: How Guwahati Celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi Amid COVID