Paray Shikshalay: Students who take part will get mid-day meal

Kolkata: The students who will be taking part in the Paray Sikshalay (Education at Locality) programme to be rolled out from Monday across the state will be provided with mid-day meal.

The duration of each class will be of two hours and students of each class will have to attend school at least twice in five days. Earlier it was decided that Paray Shikshalay will be held six days a week but it has been cut down to five days a week, Saturday being a holiday.

"We will be holding classes in open space and students of class I will be coming to school on Monday. They will be coming for the first time in the school so they will learn how to do prayer and then will be introduced with the teachers. There will be activities that will be fun and frolic for the students," Papia Nag Sinha, Headmistress of Sakhawat Memorial Girls School said, adding that classes will be held from 11 am to 1 pm.

All teachers and students will have to wear masks and follow social distancing parameters as part of Covid protocol. School dress will not be compulsory for the students attending classes.

"We will have to wait for some more days to hold physical classes for the students who have not been vaccinated. We have to analyse the situation properly before calling them to school. So we have arranged Paray Shikshalay," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said addressing the state administrative review meeting at Netaji Indoor on Monday.

The local administration have a arranged for mats, carpets or similar things for sitting of the students. Arrangements of drinking water have also been ensured .

"Long absence from school classroom environment shall definitely have some negative impact in the young minds in terms of social, cognitive, and psychological behavior in the future, if not addressed to. So the initiative is aimed at enabling a joyful assembly somewhat similar to classroom structure free from fear focusing on play, activities and interactive communication," an official in the Education department said

"It will promote a child-friendly environment in the open assemblies, focusing on enabling children to bond with reading, writing, creativity and imagination skills," another official in the Education department stated.

The headmasters of the schools have been asked to make the arrangements as per infrastructure available and interact with the guardians for dispersal of the students after the classes get over.