The Uttar Pradesh government Thursday announced the guidelines under Unlock 5 and said all schools and coaching institutes, outside containment zones, will be allowed to open in a graded manner after October 15.
However, UP chief secretary RK Tiwari said the decision to open schools will be taken by the district administration on the basis of local Covid-19 situation and in consultation with schools. The state also gave permission for religious gatherings, which means that public celebrations on the occasions of Durga Puja and Ram Lila and Diwali will be allowed.
The Centre Wednesday had issued new guidelines for the reopening of movie theatres, schools and colleges, among others, and for allowing religious gatherings after a period of six months since the lockdown was imposed in March.
“The online and distance education will continue and will be encouraged. Where the schools are conducting online classes, students who wish to continue with that instead of being physically present in school, they can do so. Students will be allowed to come to schools only with the written consent of parents. No school will be allowed to make parent consent mandatory,” Awanish Awasthi, additional chief secretary (home), said.
Most of the schools since the lockdown have been imparting online education.
On September 21, the Ghaziabad district administration has deferred the decision to allow students of classes 9 to 12 to come to school on a voluntary basis for seeking academic guidance.
The fresh directions have also paved way for Durga Puja and Ram Lila celebrations. The government in its order said permission for gatherings of 100 persons has already been given for social, educational, cultural and religious activities outside the containment zones.
Regarding the Unlock 5 directions, members of parents’ associations said most parents were not in favour of sending children to school even after October 15.
“There is still no vaccine for Covid-19 and most parents are unwilling to send children to schools even after October 15. Above all, since a major part of the academic year has been lost to the pandemic, the government must declare the session void for students up to class 8 and promote them to the higher classes,” Vivek Tyagi, spokesperson of Ghaziabad parents’ association, said.
“Even after the roll-out of the vaccine, there will be issues regarding the school fee. We have always maintained that the fee should be charged for online education. So, before opening, all such decisions have to be sorted out by the government or the administration,” he said.
The schools are waiting for the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and will also have a meeting with the officials of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) before a final decision is taken.
“There is a meeting scheduled for October 10 of various principals with the officials of the CBSE. Further, the CBSE will also issue SOPs regarding the reopening and send it to the state government. It is after these SOPs are notified by the government that the procedure for reopening schools will be decided,” Subhash Jain, president of the Independent Schools’ Federation of India, said.
With regard to gatherings, Tiwari said, “Gatherings of more than 100 persons, outside containment zones, will be allowed from October 15 but with certain restrictions. Inside an enclosed space such as a hall, the permission would be for 50% of its capacity, or a maximum of 200 persons wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and following other protocols. Gatherings will be allowed in open spaces with mandatory conditions of social distancing and face masks.”
The state will soon issue SOPs for regulating the number of people.
Ajay Shankar Pandey, Ghaziabad district magistrate, said that he has assigned several officials to take up assessment of opening of sports facilities, schools and theatres, among others.
“The officials will deliberate on what all activities will be allowed after October 15 and make an assessment as per norms. I have deputed the district inspector of schools, district sports officer and the entertainment department officer to make this assessment,” Pandey said.
