BHUBANESWAR: Sarita Sahu, a Class X student from Shastri Nagar in the city, has not been able to hold her excitement ever since she has come to know that she can go to school from Monday.
She had last attended classes on campus for a brief period from February 8 to April 7 this year after Covid forced the schools to shut indefinitely since last March. However, a renewed surge in cases led to schools closing down again, killing her enthusiasm.
“A few hours of online or YouTube classes are neither enough nor satisfactory. It is not possible for us to get all our doubts clarified in the online classes. This apart, I have been helping my mother with the household chores after the virtual classes. This leaves me with hardly any time for self-study. I have also begun to miss my friends a lot as we haven’t met for several months,” Sarita said.
Before the schools throw open their gates to welcome back the students of Classes X and XII, the headmasters have been asked to get in touch with their parents and allay their fears. The teachers should share with them the details of the safety measures taken by the schools to prevent Covid. The teachers may contact the parents through phones or pay them a visit at their homes, officials said.
“Obtaining the consent of parents is mandatory for the students to attend schools. It can either be taken verbally over phone or in written through WhatsApp. The heads of schools should invite the parents to visit their institutions and check the safety, hygiene and other precautionary measures taken by them. This information should also be shared with them through WhatsApp and phone,” school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said. Online classes will continue as usual for students who will not be able to go to school, the minister added.
The cleaning of the school premises and sanitisation of classrooms has already begun. Teams have been formed at block levels to ensure that the school authorities take all the necessary precautions.
“These teams have been visiting the schools to sensitise the authorities and check the arrangements there. Not more than 20 to 25 students will be allowed to sit in each class. Wearing of masks, frequent washing of hands and generous use of hand sanitisers are a must for students and teachers,” Bandana Mohapatra, district education officer of Khurda, said.
Teachers said the experience of conducting physical classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic for a few months earlier this year will will come in handy. “We have been following all the Covid protocols. We have prepared a timetable and assigned classes to teachers. We had conducted classes on the campus for three months earlier this year following the Covid guidelines,” Chandan Rath, headmaster of IRC Village High School, said.
