West Bengal reopens schools for classes 9 to 12 today with COVID-19 protocols in place

Schools reopened in West Bengal for students of Class 9 to Class 12 on Friday (February 12), 11 months after the pandemic induced shutdown.

ANI quote Atuhya Bagchi, Headmistress, Siliguri Girls High School as saying, "I am happy that the schools have reopened and I hope there will not be another lockdown period for the school."

"We will only operate two divisions of a class at a time out of the four divisions we have. So, students will have three days of classes in a week," she said.

"The school as a whole has been sanitised including classrooms, office rooms and every nook and corner. We made many posters and flexes, which will be displayed on gates and in the classroom to increase awareness on COVID-19 and about the guidelines to be followed. Hand sanitisers are also in place. A guardian meeting was conducted from February 8-10 prior to the opening of schools," she added.

Bagchi also talked about the seating arrangement in the school. She said only 27 students will be seated in 18 benches in one classroom.

"Two students will be seated on either side of the first bench and one student in the middle of the second bench and accordingly whole class will be arranged," she said.

Meanwhile, in Jadavpur Vidyapith School in Jadavpur, Kolkata, students were initially not allowed to enter the school by students' union members.

The headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith School said, "Students were not allowed to enter initially but they agreed to allow the students into school premises after I asked them."

"The strike was not preplanned but it is the result of police atrocities yesterday. We have also been demanding reopening Classes of 9 to 12. The students of Classes of 9 to 12 were also beaten up yesterday. We will not forcibly prevent them from attending class, It is up to their choice," said Anushdup Chakraborty, SFI local committee member at the Jadavpur University.