Calcutta schools plan phased reopening- Each section is divided and the students into two groups- student will come twice a week

The process will help institutions space out students and not crowd the campuses at any point of time

Modern High School for Girls and Mahadevi Birla World Academy are starting with only Class XII: File picture

Jhinuk Mazumdar   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |   06.02.21: Several schools have decided to stagger their reopening and only call to the campus the students of Classes X and XII for now.

The state government has allowed schools to reopen for Classes IX to XII, but several heads said their focus was on the students preparing for the board exams who need to test their preparedness.

The phased reopening will help schools space out students and not crowd the campuses at any point of time, at least two school heads said.

La Martiniere for Girls, St James’ School, South Point and Sri Sri Academy will start with Classes X and XII. Modern High School for Girls and Mahadevi Birla World Academy are starting with only Class XII.

Schools are also planning how they will split the students who will be called to the campus. Sri Sri Academy will call the students of Class X one day and Class XII the next day.

Mahadevi Birla World Academy will call only four of the eight sections of Class XII each day.

“Each section will be further divided. Not more than 15 to 16 students will be in each room and the timetable will be set like that. Each student will come twice a week,” said Anjana Saha, the principal of the school.

South Point has decided to sit the students of each section in three rooms.

Modern High School for Girls has divided the students into two groups. St James' School is looking at reduced hours with four periods a week.

“We will have to keep reviewing our system and learn from our experience if there are any gaps because we cannot anticipate everything. By the time more classes come, our system will be perfected,” said Devi Kar, the director of Modern High School for Girls.

Students of Classes X and XII are being prioritsed because they will write their board exams and they need to do hands-on practicals and also write a pen-and-paper test, after almost a year.

Even schools that have conducted pre-board exams for them in the online mode will hold practice or improvement tests in school.

“We will have to take extra care for the board classes. Also, instead of calling all classes (IX to XII) at once, if we do so in phases it will help us to implement the SOP and plan out the use of school infrastructure,” said Krishna Damani, trustee of South Point.

“We will start with the pre-boards, practicals and revision classes for X and XII. The students of Classes IX and XI are towards the end of the academic year,” said Rupkatha Sarkar, the principal of La Martiniere for Girls.

“We will call all classes (IX to XII) but the focus is on Class XII practicals. We are trying to optimise the time they will be in school,” said DPS Ruby Park principal Joyoti Chaudhuri.

Schools affiliated to state boards like Jadavpur Vidyapith are planning to call the students of Classes X and XII to “coaching class”, where they will be taught two subjects a day. Besides, students of Classes XI and XII will be called for practicals.

“In a week's time we will be able to follow a system because the idea is to bring the children to school and yet not crowd the campus,” said Parimal Bhattacharyya, the headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith.