Assam issues SOPs for reopening educational institutions; details here

GUWAHATI: Assam's education department on Friday issued a “supplementary Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)” and has allowed reopening of educational institutions for the final year students of higher secondary, graduation, and post-graduation from September 6.

Classes 1-11, the first seven semesters of graduation, and first-year postgraduates will continue with their online classes, stated the communique.

The government said the reopening of schools has been necessitated “considering the importance of continuous education and improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the State as on date.”

However, “online mode of education will continue for students who prefer to attend online classes rather than physically attend school. Physical attendance in schools is optional and not mandatory.”

The Assam districts that wish to reopen their institutions should have less than two percent COVID-19 positivity rate.

“If the positivity rate goes above 2% on a particular day, the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned District, as Chairman of the DDMA in consultation with MD, NHM, will close the Educational Institutions till the positivity rate goes below 2%,” the notification added.

The SOP has allotted the first three days of the opening of schools only for the vaccination of students above 18-years along with the teaching and nonteaching staff members.

The SOP also specified that each section will have only 30 students and the class teachers will have to form new sections if there were more students in each section.

Hostels will also be kept open for only those students attending physical classes.

Assam shut down its schools and colleges in the third week of April when the second wave of COVID-19 was reported after keeping them briefly open following the first wave.

Follow us on Facebook