Board of Secondary Education issues norms for reopening of schools, colleges

Kolkata: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has notified that Classes IX to XII, beginning from November 16, may be held for each class every day from Monday to Saturday. Students will have to report half-an-hour before the commencement of classes.

According to the notification, students of Classes IX and XI will report at 9.30 am and classes will be held from 10 am to 3.30 pm while students of Classes X and XII will reach school at 10.30 am and classes will be held from 11 am to 4.30 pm.

For adhering to Covid protocols, the Board has asked schools to divide classes in two or more separate rooms depending upon available resources while abiding by the set pandemic protocols. The Board has permitted holding of both theoretical and practical classes from November 16.

According to the Standard Operating Procedure prepared by the Education department, classrooms have to be properly numbered with revised seating arrangements so that students can maintain distance from each other.

No guardians or other visitors will be allowed on the campus and sharing of tiffin and drinking water is strictly disallowed.

Wearing of masks is compulsory for all students, teachers, non-teaching staff. Group activities like sports and cultural events may be discontinued for the time being.

For students staying in hostels, a temporary partition is to be set up for separate students and adequate distance between beds should be maintained.

Every student has to be screened before their stay at the hostel and only asymptomatic students will be allowed to put up there.

The Higher Education department has also brought out guidelines for universities and colleges stating that students would be allowed inside the campus only after a thermal screening, sanitisation of hands and wearing of masks.

All extra-curricular activities and programmes should be avoided.

The teaching and non-teaching staff have been permitted to attend their respective institutions from November 1. The colleges and varsities have been asked to take suitable steps for cleaning and sanitisation of the campuses preferably by the first week of November.

There should be no crowding in hostel areas and density in dining halls and common rooms should be limited keeping in mind social distancing norms.

All institutions should regularly monitor the health of students, faculty and staff. The stakeholders have to submit self-disclosure of Covid infection in the family.