'Encourage online classes': Indian schools get guidelines for resuming offline classes

TheUnion Health Ministry of India has issued astandard operating procedure (SOP) for schools who would opt to re-open schools.

Onlythe schools that lie outside the containment zones will be allowed to reopen. It has also been ordered to not allow students, teachers and non-teaching staff come to school if they reside in containment zones. Furthermore, the students, teachers andnon-teaching staff who will opt to come back to school will be advised not to travel to the containment zones after rejoining school.

The reopening will only be allowed for classes IX to XII, as of now. Instructions for other classes will be released soon, after looking at the turnout and judging the ability of schools.

All schools will have to compulsorily sanitise the premises, from classrooms to labs, with1 per cent sodium hypochlorite solution. This will be personally checked by the local authorities for the schools which have been used as quarantine facilities in the past few months.

All the entry and exit points for the school will have to have sanitisation machines which will includemandatory hand sanitizer dispenser and thermal screening provisions.

All employees and students will be asked to wear face masks and follow social distancing.

It has also been ordered to not let the students/teachers/non-teaching staff come to school if any of them show the slightest symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

The schools have also been asked to display posters and sign boards reading out the preacuations and prevention needed to contain the spread of coronavirus, in school and in general.

While the schools are being given the permission to resume offline classes for specific class, the government has asked schools to keep encouraging students and parents to continue with online classes.