NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has finally allowed schools in the city to reopen and conduct physical classes for students of Std VIII to XII from October 4. Students will need parents’ consent while schoolteachers and staff will need to be fully vaccinated with two doses to be allowed into school.
The schools have been shut for over 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. NMC has made parents’ consent mandatory for sending their children to schools.
Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B, while issuing the order on Thursday, asked school managements to ensure that both teaching and non-teaching staff have received two doses of Covid vaccine. On Thursday, TOI had reported NMC and collectorate had made both doses mandatory for staff and devotees at religious places too.
The notification states that in case a school requires its staff to be vaccinated the concerned school management – especially principal – should contact NMC medical officer to complete the vaccination programme.
NMC has urged schools to start health clinics on their premises with regular screening of body temperature of students. All schools have been directed to find doctors who can work voluntarily with the school management.
Schools have also been asked to register their institutions with health centres. If required, help of doctors and paramedical staff can be sought from local health clinic.
To maintain physical distancing, schools have been directed that each class should not have more than 15-20 students, with one student on each bench.
NMC has directed all school managements to strictly follow all Covid-19 protocols, including thermal screening, use of pulse oximeter, sanitizer, soaps, water etc as directed by the government from time to time.
It also asked the managements to encourage students to walk to school instead of using public transport. If travelling in a school bus or private vehicle, only one student is allowed on each seat. Drivers and conductors should promote use of sanitisers among children while boarding a bus.
Teachers and non-teaching staff should ensure students wash their hands and / or use sanitisers before and after having food.
Schools should also have medical check-up facilities for sick students. Students should also be told to have a bath and wash their clothes every day after reaching home from school.
The civic chief has asked schools to submit Covid-19 compliance report to the education departments of zilla parishad and (NMC).
School managements welcomed NMC’s decision. Principal of Adarsh Vidya Mandir (Gandhibagh) Ashnarayan Tiwari said, “It’s a welcome decision by NMC, to implement the order right from the day when state government permits school reopening. We have been in unlock mode for quite some time and cases have decreased sharply. We even had a zero-case day. So this shows people are following safety guidelines and reopening will be beneficial for the academic future of kids.”
Arvind Kumar, principal Kendriya Vidyalaya (Vayu Sena Nagar), said, “Online classes cannot achieve the same level of learning experience as physical classrooms. Many kids also face issues in online classes due to internet connectivity and we have even heard of cases where kids don’t have access to devices. So it’s a welcome decision.”
