The Odisha School and Mass Education Department has released a set of rules for schools that have reopened for students in Grades 9, 10, and 12 for the academic year 2021-22.
The SoP was issued to guarantee adherence to COVID-19 acceptable behavior, only hours after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik assessed the state’s Covid-19 situation.
“As per the report obtained from the field, the schools are now operating well with the exception of a few cases of COVID-19 positive cases in a few places, primarily in hostels,” the department stated in a letter to district education officers.
According to the letter, the Chief Minister conducted a review meeting on COVID-19 management and underlined that specific criteria must be strictly observed by all schools.
The following guidelines are:
1. Students must wear masks to school, and teachers must guarantee this. If a kid arrives at school without a mask, the School Administration should not allow the student to access the school grounds.
2. The cost of COVID management should be covered by the School Improvement Grant provided by OSEPA.
3. At the entry gate, all students going to attend offline lessons must be thermally screened, and their hands must be sanitized.
4. Social Distancing inside the classroom should be strictly enforced, and the COVID Monitor (ideally the school’s PET) should be especially watchful in this regard.
5. Any student/teacher/non-teaching staff member with minor symptoms such as a cold, sneezing, or fever should not be permitted to attend the school.
6. The SMC/SMDC, as well as the Local PRI Members, must be repeatedly educated about COVID-19 and its role in educating school-age children through their parents.
7. The BRCCS/CRCCs (about 5000 in the state) should be tagged with schools for frequent visits to ensure that all stakeholders are following COVID Appropriate Behavior.
8. In the event of a major development that impacts offline teaching, the local administration, including the health administration, should be kept up to speed.
9. As is customary, both online and offline instruction will continue, and no kid should be forced to attend school. Attendance at an offline class is not required.
10. The Nodal Officers of the different districts shall communicate with the DEOs on a daily basis, and the attendance should be sent to the appropriate Directors through Whatapp in the SME Group by 2 p.m.
11. The OSEPA Control Room at Headquarters will monitor the aforementioned instructions on a daily basis.
The Department will take any deviation seriously.( SoP)
https://rtdjournal.com/schools-reopening-for-classes-1-to-8-heres-what-education-minister-says/
