MUMBAI: Two days after staying its government resolution on reopening of schools, the state on Wednesday issued fresh orders for bringing back students of classes VIII to XII to schools in rural areas where no Covid-19 cases have been reported in the past one month.
Every Covid-free village will have a seven-member committee, comprising the sarpanch, the talati (revenue officer), the health officer, a village level worker, a school management representative, a teacher and the school head. The committee will take the final decision on reopening a school.
Teachers will have to be vaccinated on a priority basis. The committee will have to coordinate with district officers to get teachers vaccinated. An RT-PCR negative test will also be mandatory for teachers.
School timing should not exceed three to four hours and there will be no lunch break (recess) for students.
Several dos and don’ts, including following Covid protocols, have been laid down for schools. In case a student gets Covid, the school will have to be shut down. While parents’ consent will be mandatory, they will not be allowed to enter schools.
Education officers have been asked to conduct a “back-to-school” campaign in villages. The standard operating procedure detailed in Monday’s GR, including one student per bench, six feet distance between two benches and 15-20 children per class, remains the same.
The actual reopening of schools will take two to three weeks, said a state official.
Students in rural areas have faced learning losses last year during online education. Internet connectivity has been the prime reason.
The state wants to reopen classes V to VII in the second phase. Schools in urban areas are unlikely to reopen for physical teachings before September. State officials said online learning this year has been better streamlined in city schools as compared to the previous year.
