Ministry of Education releases guidelines for reopening of schools

The Ministry of Education on Monday released guidelines for reopening of schools from October 15 in a graded manner. The States and UTs have been directed to prepare their own Standard Operating Procedure for health, hygiene and safety and learning with physical and social distancing. Also Read | Maharashtra all set to open hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars in the state from today The schools allowed to open must follow the guideline prepared by State/UT Education Departments based on SOP of DoSEL. The SOP/guidelines of DoSEL, Ministry of Education, comprises of two parts:

• Health, hygiene and safety
• Learning with physical/social distancing

Also Read | Schools in Delhi to remain shut till October 3 The students may attend schools only with the written consent of parents. There will be flexibility in attendance norms. The students may opt for online classes rather than physically attend school. Precautions to be taken for preparing and serving Mid-day meals in schools. The alternative academic calendar of NCERT may be followed. Meanwhile, no assessment will be taken up to 2-3 weeks of school reopening. The use of ICT & online learning shall continue to be encouraged. The SOP also provides for guidelines on ensuring the emotional well-being of students and teachers with a reference drawn to the Manodarpan initiative. A checklist for a safe school environment, as adopted from the UNICEF India guideline is provided for schools parents and students to contain the spread of COVID-19. -PTC News