After being closed for nearly 10 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in Delhi are set to reopen from Monday for students of Classes 10 and 12.
Staggered and shorter class hours, frequent sanitisation, and entry and exit through multiple gates are among various new ways adopted by schools in Delhi as they prepare to welcome students for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced closure of educational institutes in March last year.
The Delhi government has decided to reopen schools, shut since the first 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed in March 2020, in view of the upcoming CBSE board exams.
Schools that reopen will have to follow the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, including social distancing, compulsory mask-wearing, sanitisation and others.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in a tweet on Sunday, said: "Had a review meeting with senior Education Dept officials. Everyone is excited and a little nervous at having Class 10& 12 students back in schools from tmrw for practical/counselling. All preparations-sanitizers, masks, social distancing measures- are in place. Good luck to all!"
The Directorate of Education has made it clear that students can come to school only if their parents allow it, and the school administration cannot compel physical attendance of their students.
Allowing 15 students at a time in a classroom, placing handwashing consoles and sanitiser dispensers in corridors, deploying volunteers to ensure social distancing and conduct temperature checks, and keeping medical facilities on standby for any eventuality are among various other initiatives planned by schools.
The DoE had earlier made it clear that physical attendance is not compulsory and students will attend schools only with the consent of parents. It had also said that only schools outside the containment zones will be allowed to reopen and teachers and school staff living in such areas will not be allowed to attend schools.
Schools have also been directed not to hold assemblies and physical outdoor activities.
The Union education ministry has already announced that board exams for classes 10 and 12 will be conducted from May 4 to June 10, even though the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is yet to release an examination date-sheet.
