Coronavirus outbroke in Indian peninsula at the mid of March this year 2020 and by since government has imposed the nation-wide lockdown.
This global pandemic has hit on every aspects of life- not only financially but also mentally and emotionally. COVID-19’s has badly effected whether it is busines, industry, corporates, wage earners- daily or monthly, migrant labourers or farmer. Industry has witness unprecedented lay-off while employees suffered pay-cuts.
Difficulties which industries, employees and specifically migrant labourers faced during these tough-time got lot of public attention. However, one segment has left unattended that is the education world .
Now Govt. is in process of relaxing the restrictions in order to provide support to the country’s economy and in this regard, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India has come with Unlock 4.0 guidelines in early September. Among other thing, Unlock 4.0 guidelines contemplates reopening of schools from September 21 with 50% strength of teaching and non-teaching staffs for online teaching/tele-counselling and related work.
Additionally Unlock 4.0 guidelines contemplates that’s students of classes of 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers subject to written consent from their parents/guardians. Schools in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana decided to resume the schools as per Unlock 4.0 guidelines, while Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Delhi decided not to open schools. In Delhi schools will remain closed till October 5. Earlier Delhi Govt. was of view to resume schools as per Unlock 4.0 guidelines, but later decision has been withdrawn taking into account the increasing number of cases in Union Territory.
While daily number of positive cases as well as number of causalities are increasing, taking the cognizance of seriousness of prevailing situation, the educational institutions and school authorities are showing their determination to take all precautions and to follow instructions and SOP (standard operating procedure) issued by administration to ensure the safety of the students once schools resumes.
In Unlock 4.0 guidelines, Central Govt. has made mandatory for schools which is resuming to do thermal scanning at the school gates of both students and staff. Apart from thorough sanitisation, arrangement of masks and hand sanitizers have also been mandated.
By Aradhana Shukla.