Meghalaya: Schools to reopen for class 6 to 12

Schools outside containment zones in Meghalaya will reopen from Friday with the state education department issuing new guidelines for the same besides imposing added responsibility on parents to adhere to the prescribed protocols.

In a notification issued here on Thursday, D.P Wahlang, the principal secretary, education department, stated that the permission to allow students to attend school would be subject to a written consent of their parents/guardians and mandatory compliance to the standard operating protocols.

“Regular class activities for schools, colleges, educational institutions will remain closed till further notification,” it stated.

However, schools will be permitted to open for teacher-student counselling, clearing doubts, addressing hard spots, sharing unit/lesson plans, assignments, submission of work, student assessment programme, etc.

“All schools have to develop a 50 per cent attendance schedule/roster duty of teaching and non-teaching staff,” it said.
Elementary school teachers (Class I to V) are to attend schools as per the roster duty chart for compulsory transaction of daily/weekly lessons and submission of assignments/lesson plans/worksheet/etc., accordingly via online or through parental distribution at the school campus or teachers visit.

“Prior to resumption of activities, all work areas intended for teaching/demonstrations, etc shall be sanitised with one percent sodium hypochlorite solution,” the notification said.
The school should display state helpline numbers and also numbers of local health authorities, etc. to teachers, students, employees to contact in case of any emergency.

“Entrance (to schools) must have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitiser dispenser) and thermal screening provisions. Multiple gates/separate gates, if feasible, should be used for entry and exit,” it stated.
“Posters/standees on preventive measures about COVID-19 have to be displayed prominently. Proper crowd management should be followed and entry of visitors should be strictly regulated/restricted,” the notification said.

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Besides frequently touched surfaces have to be regularly cleaned and disinfected (using 1 per cent sodium hypochlorite). Provision of soap in toilets and hand sanitisers in other common areas must be ensured. Teaching material, computers, laptops, printers, shall be disinfected with 70 per cent alcohol/wipes.

“Students should not be involved in any of the cleaning activities for health safety reasons. Students, parents, teachers and employees have to be sensitised to create awareness on COVID appropriate behaviour. If a student, teacher or employee is sick, they should not come to the school and follow necessary protocols in this regard,” the guidelines stated.

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