As Covid cases decline, Centre releases new guidelines for reopening of schools

Feb. 3: Department of School Education & Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education, Government of India has announced a new set of health and safety SOPs that will need to be observed by state governments for welcoming students back to educational institutions. The Union education ministry said states can decide whether schools are required to take consent of students’ parents for attending physical classes, while group activities would have to be done following standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The government has also to use the term ‘physical distancing’ instead of ‘social distancing’ and asked schools to make specific marking to manage queues. The schools should also be directed to take necessary precautions for children with co-morbidities. “In the modified guidelines, the government has also suggested identification of children based on their learning levels so that teachers can focus on students who need additional support,” it added.

Many parents and teachers have been demanding that schools be reopened for physical classes and online classes have been found to be inadequate. Reliance on access to the internet and smart devices has also severely impacted students from financially backward groups and other vulnerable sections with many experts going so far as to call it a “lost generation”.

The revised guidelines issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, suggested preparing bridge courses and implementing them in classrooms. “Once school reopens, the grade-related syllabus should be undertaken only after the bridge course is completed, so that students can adjust to the changed school environment and do not feel the stress of being left out, especially students who did not have access to alternate means of education,” the guidelines had said.

For the full SOP/ Guidelines click here