Guwahati: Schools in Assam are set to reopen from Monday for students of Class 6 and above after over seven months of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked the education department to ensure COVID-19 guidelines are followed at all times.
The state government also noted that the school reopening is on a voluntary basis and only those students who have consent from their parents will attend classroom teachings.
Undergraduate classes in colleges will also resume in a physical form today. Classes will be held in two batches – morning and afternoon.
Here are the details for Assam school reopening:
1. CM Sonowal directed the education department to ensure classes start early in the morning so that a proper gap between classroom timings can be maintained.
2. Students from Class 6 and onwards will be attending school in two batches – from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Not more than 25 students will be present in each section.
3. Coming to school will be a voluntary exercise for students and the necessary attendance required will not be applicable this year, Assam’s education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. As a result, schools cannot force students to attend classroom teachings.
4. A written consent from their parents or guardian will be required by each student to attend classes in school.
5. School examinations will be held only for Class 8, while board exams will be conducted for Classes 10 and 12.
6. Classes will be held in an odd-even system. Students of Classes 6, 7, 9 and 12 will have classroom teachings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of every week, while those of Classes 8, 10 and 11 will attend school on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
7. Similarly, in colleges, classes will be held twice a week for first semester students, i.e, on Monday and Thursday. Students in their third semester will attend classes thrice a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday while those in the fifth semester will have their classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday every week.
The reopening of schools in Assam is based on the ‘Unlock 5’ guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs which permitted schools to reopen across the country in a graded manner after October 15.
