Hyderabad: It’s time for a return to schools and colleges – three weeks hence – drawing the curtains down on a season of prolonged shutdown.
At a high-level meeting with ministers and district collectors on Monday, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced reopening of schools from Class IX onwards, as also Intermediate schools, degree colleges and other vocational and professional institutions from February 1.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that all arrangements are made for the reopening of both government and private schools. “Keep all educational institutions, hostels, and residential schools neat and tidy. Sanitation measures including cleaning of toilets should be taken up immediately,” he said.
“It has been a long time since schools were opened. All classrooms, furniture and laboratories should be cleaned. Provisions like rice, dal and other food materials must be taken care of. If stocks are less, go for more of purchases,” he said.
“It is important to keep all schools and colleges ready by January 25, both for classes to resume as well as for ministers to visit the welfare hostels and make sure they would be ready for occupation,” the Chief Minister said.
Students were making do mostly with online classes in the past several months, with teachers and students sitting at their respective homes and interacting via video-mode. Students who did not have online facilities were in deep distress and could not pursue classes.
Schools and higher education institutes are to follow guidelines issued by the Centre in September for reopening of schools:
1. No force to be exerted on students to attend classes in schools; and consent by parents will be ensured for those who are willing to attend.
2. Students, teachers, and non-teaching staff must wear facemasks and keep washing their hands at regular intervals.
3. Body temperature of all to be checked through thermal scanning. Students with symptoms of cold and cough will have to leave the school immediately.
4. A minimum of six-feet distance will have to be maintained in classes and in school premises.
5. Arrange for thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all areas, furniture, equipment, stationery, storage places, water tanks, kitchens, canteen, washrooms, laboratories, libraries etc on school campus and ensure air flow in indoor space.
6. Ensure availability in school or at contactable distance full-time trained health care attendant/nurse/doctor and counsellor to take care of physical and mental health of students.
