COVID-19 SOP/Guidelines for Health and Safety protocols for Reopening of Schools and Learning with Physical/Social Distancing
The Ministry of Home Affairs vide Order no. 40-3/2020-DM-I
(A) dated 30th September, 2020, has issued guidelines for re-opening, following
lockdown measures put in place for containment of COVID-19 in the country under
the under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Among the activities permitted
outside the Containment Zones is the re-opening of schools and coaching institutions,
after 15th October, 2020, in a graded manner, for which the State/UT Government
may take a decision in consultation with the respective school/institution
management, based on their assessment of the situation and subject to the
following conditions:
a. Online/distance learning shall continue to be the
preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged
b. Where schools are
conducting online classes, and some students prefer to attend online classes
rather than physically attend school, they may be permitted to do so.
c. Students may
attend schools/institutions only with the written consent of parents.
d. Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent
e. States/ UTs will prepare their own Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding health and safety precautions for reopening of schools/institutions based on SOP to be issued by Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India, keeping local requirements in view.
f. Schools
which are allowed to open, will have to mandatorily follow the SOP to be issued
by Education Departments of States/UTs prepared as above.
(Source Ministry of Education, Website)