Two govt schools open on trial basis; Haryana may adopt formula for higher classes

Karnal/Rohtak: Two government schools in Haryana’s Karnal and Sonepat divided students into groups as per colour codes to help them and their teachers maintain social distancing when they opened on a trial basis for two days last week as per the Centre’s Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures. The trial involved groups of 20 students each.

The Centre’s Unlock 4 guidelines issued late month to ease the restrictions imposed in March to check the pandemic spread allowed students of classes 9 to 12 to return to schools on a voluntary basis from September 21 to seek academic guidance. Schools across the country were shut and exams suspended as part of measures to deal with the pandemic in March.

“We adopted this [colour-coding] formula when the school opened for three hours and over 70 students of Class 12 attended the school,” said Karnal school principal, Dharampal. He added the students were divided into four bubbles or groups, and given coloured masks and badges as per the colour of their groups. He said their benches were also colour marked for identification in separate classes. Dharampal said the formula worked well.

The teachers were instructed not to share books, chalks, and dusters with the other teachers and students. Also, the school authorities modified the toilets and pedals were installed to control water taps.

An education department official said students were not allowed to interact with their schoolmates in other groups.

The state education department has decided to adopt this formula as it is planning to reopen schools for Class 9 to 12 students.

A second official, who did not wish to be named, said the two schools were reopened to check whether they are prepared to restart classes. “We have received videos of students during their trial classes. A team of experts from the school education and health departments will access the videos and check the loopholes. If all the safety protocols were followed, we will send these videos to other schools, otherwise, we will discuss with experts what other steps should be taken to maintain safety standards.”

The second official said they got the bubble system idea from schools in the UK and other European countries.

Chand Kishor, the headmaster of the Sonepat school, said 40 students of Class 10 returned to the school. “We divided them into two groups and students wore assigned bubble colour code and ribbons on their sleeves. The same colour code was used for the roll numbers and names pasted on their desks. Students brought their food and water bottles. A five-minute break was given after 40-minute class. One student was allowed at a time to go to the toilet...” He said they are confident that they will be able to run the school if the government gives them the go-ahead.