After Being Shut For 7 Months Schools Reopen in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand With Strict COVID-19 Precautions

The offline classes will be held for senior classes only while the online classes will continue for junior students

KalimNews and Agencies, NEW DELHI, November 2, 2020: All higher educational institutions, universities and affiliated colleges, across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reopened from Monday, November 02, 2020. The offline classes will be held for senior classes only while the online classes will continue for junior students. 

Schools reopened in Guwahati, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand after being shut for 7 months due to COVID-19 on Monday. Schools need to function by following the strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines.

India's COVID-19 tally surged to 82.29 lakh on Monday with 45,230 new COVID-19 infections reported in the past 24 hours. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare numbers, with 496 new deaths, the death toll increased to 1,22,607. 

Assam: Schools in Assam will have to follow an odd-even system to minimise the risk of coronavirus spread. Students in Classes 6, 8 and 12 will attend school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while students of classes 7, 9 and 11 will attend classes on the other three days. 
The educational institutions in Assam reopened on Monday with strict Covid-19 guidelines after over seven months of closure. According to the officials of the state Education Department, the students of classes 6, 8 and 12 would attend teaching on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the rest three days are reserved for class 7,9 and 11. The first batch of the students would come at 8 am and stay up to 12 noon and the second batch will come at 12.30 pm and stay up to 3.30 pm. The SOP also includes a staggered timetable for general colleges, engineering colleges, polytechnic institutions and IITs and the final decision will be taken by the college authorities. However, online mode of education would continue for students who prefer to attend online classes rather than physically attend the schools.
The principal of a school which reopened on Monday, said, "I'm glad that we're able to re-open for more students. Before, it was only open for senior classes. Today we've opened for classes 6, 7 and 8. We're following SoP guidelines & protocols."
"I'm glad that we're able to re-open for more students. Before, it was only open for senior classes. Today we've opened for classes 6, 7 &8. We're following SoP guidelines & protocols," says a principal.

Andhra Pradesh: Schools will conduct classes for students on alternate days for classes 9 and 10 and classes would be held from 9:15 am to 1:45 pm which would be followed by midday meals. Everyone needs to wear masks and follow social distancing norms. Washing hands is also one of the mandatory rules that will be followed in schools.

Unlike alternate half days for schools, colleges will function on all six days of the week. A new academic calendar for non-professional courses, professional courses and post-graduate programmes was released. Classes for first year professional and non-professional undergraduate courses will commence from December 1.
Himachal Pradesh:  Classes 9 to 12 reopened today in the state. The government insisted that the consent of parents must be mandatory for students who wish to attend school and attendance would not be compulsory. Schools were reopened on a regular basis for students of classes 9 to 12 from November 2.
Though a decision has been taken to reopen schools from November 2, schools will not be allowed to make it mandatory for students to attend classes. It should be left to the students to decide if they want to attend classes or not. Students can consult with their teachers and a decision can be taken based upon their academic needs for the current academic session,” Urban and Housing Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said.
It was also informed by the government officials that all undergraduate first and second-year students would have mass promotions. Nearly 60,000 students would most likely benefit from this decision. Meanwhile, final-year examinations for third-year undergraduate students have already been conducted.
Uttarakhand:
Schools in Uttarakhand reopen today for classes 10 to 12. Parental consent has been made mandatory for students attending classes.
A total of 3,791 senior secondary schools reopened in Uttarakhand for 10th and 12th standard students from November 2. Students will only be allowed to attend classes after written permission from parents. According to the state education minister, due to the changed circumstances amid the pandemic, the teaching format within the classrooms has also been changed in the SOP. Students will gradually be brought into the mainstream after classes resume. Over the next two-three weeks, online studies and other educational activities will be reviewed. Students will get used to school life again," R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary - Education Department, said.
Similarly, schools in Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab reopened on October 21. But there are some states like New Delhi which has delayed the opening of schools till next order.