Preparations underway at Kendriya Vidyalaya Jammu, ahead of partial reopening of schools from Sept 21

Preparations for maintaining social distancing, and facilities for sanitization are being done at the Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 in Jammu, ahead of the scheduled reopening of schools on September 21, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines, the states and Union Territories (UTs) are permitted to call 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to schools for online teaching and related works from September 21.

Talking to ANI, Raj Kumar Sharma, a teacher at the institution, they are taking all measures to ensure the safety in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We follow the Centre’s orders, and according to it after September 21 the students (from Class 9 to 12) can come with their parent’s permission for guidance. Classes as before would not be able to run, but as a precautionary measure we have installed touch-free sanitiser, and markers in the open areas for ensuring social distancing is followed at all times,” Sharma told ANI here.

“Our first priority is to ensure that children stay safe. Even when they are in the class they will have to continue wearing masks. When the children come to interact with the teachers, they will be seated one student apart. The students in Class 10 and 12 will be given preference during this time,” he added.

The teacher further said that although the online mode of education has been highly successful, some students, however, feel the need to meet and interact with the teachers face to face in order to resolve their queries.

Schools across the country have been shut since March owing to the coronavirus crisis and the classes are being conducted online.

The Union Health Ministry had on September 8 issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a partial reopening of schools for students of classes 9 to 12 for taking guidance from their teachers on a voluntary basis.

The SOP follows Unlock 4 guidelines of Home Ministry which came into effect from September 1.

It stated that students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers and this will be subject to the written consent of their parents or guardians.