Ten months after forced to shut down due to spiralling coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, government and private schools in Delhi are set to welcome senior students back amid safety protocols forced by the infection.
Deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia took to Twitter on the morning of reopening day and said he is glad that the schools are opening in Delhi today.
“Best wishes to the students of class 10&12th who are going to visit their school today after 10 months… (though it’s only for limited purpose and with covid protocols..) But still… I am glad that schools are opening in Delhi today,” Sisodia said in a tweet on Monday.
The move to reopen schools in Delhi comes as the positivity rate in the national capital continues to hover below 1 per cent and the authorities declaring control over the disease outbreak by strict testing and isolating method.
The schools will open amid strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocol mandated by the Centre. For now, the classes will only resume for 10th and 12th students in view of the board exams, in a staggered manner with shorter class hours and frequent sanitisation.
According to the guidelines, schools that are out of the containment zone areas will only be allowed to open. The students will only be allowed to attend schools with the written consent of parents.
Several private and government schools have installed sanitisers, fogging machines, thermal scanners, and disinfectants which will be sprayed in-between batches. The government has reduced class hours from six hours to two hours and a decision has been taken by schools to initially call only 50 students from both classes.
In laboratories, only 10 students will be allowed at a time with at least three staff members to ensure supervision. Volunteers will be deployed to check temperatures and to ensure social distancing is being strictly followed. The medical facilities in schools will remain on standby for any eventuality. The schools will also hold orientation programmes and put up posters and notices detailing the Covid-19 guidelines.
The Centre had, in Unlock 5 guidelines, allowed schools to reopen from October 15. However, the decision was left to states/union territories to decide as to when they would resume physical classes.
