Bihar issues guidelines for reopening of schools, colleges at 50% capacity

The Bihar education department has issued elaborate guidelines for reopening of schools, colleges and coaching institutions from January 4. The decision to open schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges, coaching centres, medical and engineering colleges was taken earlier at the crisis management group (CMG) meeting on December 18.

All educational institutions in the state were shut since March 15 owing to the nationwide lockdown triggered by Covid-19 pandemic.

The classes will commence with 50% strength and all the institutions will have to follow Covid-19 protocol. “The decision to reopen remaining classes will be taken after a review meeting on January 18, 2021,” said Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary, education department.

Parents will have to give consent for their wards to attend the educational institutions and those choosing to attend classes online from home will be allowed to continue. Students will have to submit a self-declaration form detailing their travel history and medical condition.

“The government school students will be given two mask each, prepared by Jeevika didi,” he said. Jeevika Didis are self help groups comprising local women, formed under Jeevika, the Bihar government’s rural livelihood programme.

Singh said the coaching institutes will see a staggered reopening and will have to submit a Covid-19 protocol they will follow upon resumption of classes.

The SOPs released by the government mandate that hostels and school buses will have to be sanitised once before schools reopen and then twice a day after reopening. Schools and other institutions have also been directed to constitute different teams to look after sanitisation, cleanliness and social distancing.

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The guidelines said the educational institutions will have to avoid organising functions besides ensuring the availability of medical staff for any emergency.

President, Private Schools and Children Welfare Association, Shamael Ahmed, welcomed the decision; however, he sought government’s permission for resumption of additional classes.

“The government should rethink its decision and allow classes from 8th onwards to reopen, so that confidence is built among the students and parents. There are just 500-600 schools that have classes 9 to 12 and are allowed to open.”