The Odisha government has decided to reopen the schools in the state from today, July 26, with several Covid-19 guidelines set in place.
The schools in Odisha have been reopened today for physical classes for the students of Classes 10 and 12, as per the directives of the state government. The schools are reopening after almost a gap of three months after the Odisha government gave its nod for the re-opening of schools earlier in the week.
The classes will be conducted from 10 am to 1.30 pm on all days, except Sundays and public holidays. “Only schools outside the containment zones will be allowed to open. Further, students, teachers, and employees living in containment zones will not be allowed to attend the school,” the government notification said.
Talking to India Today, Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said necessary sanitation activities in schools have already been completed after the Nodal Officers visited the districts and supervised all the arrangements for the reopening of schools.
District Education Officers (DEO) have been instructed to ensure that Covid protocols are followed in all the schools as physical classes have resumed. Classes will be held from 10 AM to 1.30 PM, schools will remain closed on Sundays and other government holidays.
Covid-19 guidelines for Odisha schools
The state education minister said that apart from following the SOPs issued by the government, which includes social distancing and wearing masks, emphasis will also be given to maintaining hygiene during the resumption of physical classes.
Consent of parents or guardians is mandatory for students to attend physical classroom teaching in schools as well as stay in hostels, explained Minister Samir Ranjan Dash.
“One can give consent over the telephone, through Whatsapp. Since the child is going to attend school, the principal/teacher of the concerned school will ensure to obtain the consent of the child’s parents whichever means is convenient to them,” Dash said.
However, provision for online teaching has also been made for those students who are reluctant to attend the physical mode of teaching in the State, he added.
Earlier on Friday, Dash had said the Government is making all-out efforts to vaccinate the left-out teachers before the schools reopen. “Almost all teachers and staff of schools have been vaccinated. We have requested the Health Department to vaccinate the remaining teachers and school staff on a priority basis,” he said.
Students in favour of physical classes
Meanwhile, India Today talked with a few students of Class 12 of a private school in Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar, regarding the reopening of schools and resumption of physical classes.
Ishika Lohia told India Today, “Although we were attending online classes, the clarity that physical classes can provide cannot be compensated for, as we will be attending our board exams this year, physical classes were a much needed for our further studies.”
Hemant Kumar Gupta of Class 12 said, “Physical teaching has no alternative. It’s easier to understand any subject while doing physical classes than online. I am happy after a gap of three months we will be able to attend class and will have firsthand experience of all subjects.”
Meanwhile, Saniya Siddiqui of the same class differs in her views about the reopening of schools. She said, “The government should have ensured vaccination for us before opening schools in such a hurry. What if any student contracts Covid-19 while attending classes and transmits it to the elderly at home?”
She further added, “Who will be responsible for any untoward incident? However, I will attend class with some sort of heavy heart.”
Meanwhile, Odisha’s capital city, which witnessed a climb-down in the daily Covid-19 count on Saturday, registered a surge on Sunday. As many as 371 positive cases were reported in the city in the last 24 hours compared to 207 patients on Saturday.
