ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ , ਅਕਤੂਬਰ 2020 -(ਇਕ਼ਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਸੂਲਪੁਰ/ਮਨਜਿੰਦਰ ਗਿੱਲ)-
ਅਨਲੌਕ 5 ਦੇ ਤਹਿਤ 15 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਤੋਂ ਦੇਸ਼ ਭਰ ’ਚ ਸਕੂਲ ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹਣ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ। ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਲਈ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਿਹਤ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਗਾਈਡਲਾਈਨਜ਼ ਜਾਰੀ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਨੇ। ਕੰਟੇਨਮੈਂਟ ਜੋਨ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਹਰਲੇ ਏਰੀਏ ਚ ਸਕੂਲ ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹਣਗੇ ਤੇ ਸਿਹਤ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਦੂਰੀ ਦਾ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਕਰਨ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਹਾ।
ਸਕੂਲ ਡਿਪਾਰਟਮੈਂਟ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਗਾਇਡਲਾਈਨਜ਼ ਨੂੰ ਕਦੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਜਾਂ ਸਕੂਲ ਕਦੋਂ ਖੋਲੇਗਾ ਇਹ ਅਜੇ ਤੱਕ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਪਰ ਸਿਹਤ ਮਹਿਕਮੇ ਨੇ ਹਿਦਾਇਤਾਂ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਨੇ।
ਸਕੂਲ ਮਹਿਕਮੇ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਗਾਈਡ ਲਾਈਨਜ਼ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਸੀ। ਇਸ ਦੇ ਜਵਾਬ 'ਚ ਸਿਹਤ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਗਾਈਡਲਾਈਨਜ਼ ਜਾਰੀ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਨੇ।
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਿਖਿਆ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਵਲੋਂ ਸਕੂਲ ਖੋਲ੍ਹਣ ਲਈ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਗਾਈਡ ਲਾਈਨਜ਼
Subject : Guideleines on reopening of Schools in areas outside
Contaiment Zones.
1.0 The Government of Punjab Department of Home Affairs and Justice
Order No PA/ACSH/2020/09, dated 12.10.2020 State Government
has allowed to reopen Schools in graded manner from 15.10.2020
subject to following conditions:
a. Online/distance learning shall continue to be the preferred
mode of teaching and shall be encouraged
b. Where schools are conducting online classes, and some
students prefer to attend online classes rather than physically
attend school, they may be permitted to do so.
c. Students may attend schools/institutions only with the written
consent of parents.
d. Schools which are being allowed to open after 15th October
2020 will have to mandatorily follow the SOP to be issued by
the Department of School Education in consulation with the
Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Punjab.
2.0 Following are the SOPs/ guidelines for schools in the State of Punjab:
I. The timings of the school will be as per the guidelines issued by
the department time to time.
II. The schools will open for three hours a day for students.
III. Only students of classes 9th to 12th will be called in school. No
student of any other class will be called in the school.
IV. If the strength of the students is large in the school and social
distancing norms are not maintainable in that case School
Head/ Management may take a decision whether to hold the
classes in two shifts or call the students at alternate days, at
their own level.
If a school has large number of students then they may divide
the classes/ sections into groups and call them at different
timings, e.g If a school has 250 students from class 9th to 12th
and has 6 sections, then school may divide the classes/
sections into different groups in such a manner that they may
be called at different timings like 9th class at 9.00 am, 10th at
10.00 am, 11th at 11.00 am and 12th at 12.00 pm, so that there
should not be congesition at the entry and depature points of
the school and social distancing norm may be maintained.
V. Prior to reopening of schools, arrangements shall be made for
sensitization of teachers, parents, staff, and members of School
Management Committee through online/offline modes such as
pamphlets, letters, public announcement systems in religious
places etc. on COVID appropriate behavior such as:
➢ Required do’s and don’ts including maintenance of hand
hygiene, respiratory hygiene and disinfection of frequently
touched surfaces
➢ Maintaining physical distance
➢ Hygienic practices necessary for the prevention of COVID-19
➢ Stigmas attached to COVID-19
➢ Thermal screening for fever detection
➢ Avoiding attending school if having symptoms and seeking
medical care
b) Staff and students belonging to containment zones shall not
attend the school and other educational institutions until the
containment zone is denotified.
c) Students and staff shall be advised not to visit areas falling
within containment zone.
d) The recommendations of MoHFW are to be followed, i.e, “All
employees who are at higher risk i.e, older employees,
pregnant employees and employees who have underlying
medical conditions to take extra precautions. They should
preferably not be exposed to any frontline work requiring direct
contact with the students.
VI. Ensure proper cleaning and sanitation facilities in the
school
a) Arrange for thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all areas,
furniture, equipment, stationery, storage places, water tanks,
kitchens, canteen, washrooms, laboratories, libraries, etc. on
school campus and ensure air flow in indoor space.
b) Ensure working hand washing facilities in the school.
c) Ensure availability of key supplies like thermometers,
disinfectants, soaps, etc., and arrange for availability of these
essentials. The thermometer to be used should be a calibrated
contact-less infrared digital thermometer.
d) Ensure sanitization of school transport before they start plying.
e) Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
on Disinfection of Common Public Places available
athttp/www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesondisinfectionofcommon
publicplacesi ncludingoffices.pdf may be referred to for suitable
follow-up.
VII. Form different Task Teams
a) Task Teams such as, Emergency Care Support/Response
Team, General Support Team for all stakeholders, Commodity
Support Team, Hygiene Inspection Team, etc. with earmarked
responsibilities will be helpful.
b) Teachers, students and other stakeholders deemed fit for
being the members of these task forces may be identified to be
the members of these task forces who will work collaboratively
to take strategic and immediate actions.
VIII. Seating plan
a) There must be at least 6 feet distance between students in the
revised seating plan. It is advisable to mark the seating that
students should occupy.
b) If there are single-seater desks, simply providing space between
the desks in the classrooms to maintain physical/social
distancing of 6 feet will be effective. If benches are used, one
child one bench norm may be considered.
c) Similarly, physical/social distancing shall also be maintained in
the staff rooms, office area, and other places of public
interaction.
d) If available, temporary space or outdoor spaces (in case of
pleasant weather) may be utilized for conducting classes,
keeping in view the safety and security of the children and
physical distance protocols
e) Seats may be designated with adequate distance for teachers in
the staff room and other available rooms/halls.
f) The number of seats in the reception area may be limited with at
least 6 feet distance between them.
IX. Ensure Physical / social distancing at the Entry and Exit
Points of the School
i. Staggering the timing of entry and exit for students of different
classes.
ii. Earmarking different lanes for coming and going.
iii. Opening all the gates at the time of entry and exit, in case
school has more than one gate and earmarking classes for each
gate to avoid crowding.
iv. Making announcements through Public Announcement System
to guide parents/guardians and students to maintain
physical/social distancing.
X Schools will make their own SOPs based upon guidelines issued by
State for the following keeping in view the safety and physical/social
distancing norms and ensuring that the
notices/posters/messages/communication to parents in this regard
are prominently displayed/disseminated:
➢ Library and Laboratory
➢ Break Time
➢ Regular Cleaning and Disinfection of school
infrastructure
➢ Use of School Transport
➢ Private pick up and drop off facility
➢ Monitor and Plan for Absenteeism of both staff and
students
➢ Information Sharing System with partners
➢ Dealing with emergency situation
➢ Visit of service providers, parents and other visitors to
school
XI Display Signages and markings for enforcing physical/social
distancing and safety protocols -
a) Displaying posters/messages/stickers and signage at
appropriate places in the school reminding students about
maintaining physical/social distancing such as inside the
classroom, libraries, outside washrooms, hand washing
stations, drinking water areas, school kitchen, halls,
classrooms, buses/ cabs parking, entry and exits.
b) Ban on spitting shall be strictly enforced.
c) Marking circles on ground at different places like reception,
water facility stations, hand washing stations, area outside
washrooms, and other areas.
d) Marking separate lanes with arrows for coming and going at all
possible places in school to avoid physical contact.
XII School events, congregations, meetings, etc.
a) Schools will not undertake school events where physical/social
distancing is not possible.
b) Functions and celebration of festivals shall be avoided in
schools
c) However, school assembly may be conducted by the students
in their respective classrooms or outdoor spaces or other
available spaces and halls under the guidance of the class
teacher.
d) Likewise, if possible, virtual parent teacher meetings can be
arranged.
e) During the process of admission to new classes, only
parents/guardians may be consulted. Children need not
accompany parents as far as possible.
f) Efforts may be made to conduct admissions online wherever
possible.
XIII Parent’s/Guardian’s consent
a) Schools shall take the consent of parents/guardians before
their child/ward begins attending schools.
b) Students willing to study from home with the consent of the
parents may be allowed to do so.
c) Follow-up on the progress of the learning outcomes of all such
students may be planned appropriately.
XIV Ensure Safe Commuting of Students
a) Sanitization of school transportation on regular basis at least
twice a day – once before children board the transport and once
after.
b) School Driver and conductor should maintain physical distance at
all times and ensure physical/social distancing among students in
the bus/cab.
c) A minimum physical distance of 6 feet should be maintained
during seating. Staggering of school timings/days/shifts may be
essential for ensuring this. Wherever possible, more buses may
be arranged.
d) If possible, thermal screening of students may be done by the
bus conductor at the time of their boarding the bus.
e) All commuters to wear face cover/masks in the bus/cab. School
transport should not permit children without masks to board
buses.
f) No curtains on windows in the bus/cab.
g) Preferably keep all windows open.
h) For air-conditioned buses/cabs, the guidelines issued by CPWD
shall be followed which include temperature setting at 24-30°C,
relative humidity at 40-70% with provision for intake of fresh air
(available at:
https://cpwd.gov.in/WriteReadData/other_cir/45567.pdf.)
i) Students may be oriented not to touch surfaces unnecessarily.
If possible, hand sanitizer may be kept in the bus/cab.
j) Students may be advised to patiently wait for their turn to board
or alight from the vehicle keeping a safe distance.
k) As far as possible, parents may be encouraged to use their
personal transport to drop their children to school.
l) Students commuting through public transport should be
adequately guided by schools to take all precautions such as –
physical/social distancing, covering nose and mouth with up face
cloth/masks, sanitizing hands when touching any surface etc.
m)Private cabs or carpooling may be discouraged as far as
possible.
XV Ensure Safe Residential Stay at Hostel:
a) Temporary partitions may be erected to separate
inmates/boarders. Adequate distance between beds may be
ensured.
b) Physical/social distancing must be maintained all the times in
hostels. Signage and messaging at prominent places will be
important.
c) Alternative space may be arranged to accommodate students to
enable physical/social distancing.
d) Initial preference for calling students to join back hostels may be
given to students who do not have any support at home and also
no facility for on-line education.
e) Students of higher classes may be called first as per
accommodation facility of the school.
f) Screening of every boarder needs to be done before they start
staying at the hostel. Only asymptomatic boarders should be
allowed to join.
g) Since students may be coming from different locations by using
public transports such as buses, trains, etc., it is important that
they should minimize their contact and interaction with others
on arrival at hostel, and effectively maintain quarantine as per
requirement. Their health status should be monitored during the
period.
h) Arrangement for a regular visit of Counselor teacher or a
Counselor needs to be ensured to take care of any mental
or emotional health issue of the students.
i) Hostel should be out of bound for all persons except essential
staff with known health status.
j) Visiting medical team may inspect kitchen and mess at least
once a week to ensure maintenance of hygiene.
k) Capacity building of hostel staff should be done on
physical/social distancing norms, health, and hygiene, clean and
nutritious food, etc., for the hostellers.
l) Availability of good quality Wi-Fi connection, cable connection
for Television and Radio may be ensured. These facilities should
be used as per norms of physical/social distancing.
XVI Collect information:
a) From students, parents and teachers:
In the form of self-declaration regarding their health
condition, Arogya Setu health assessment/ COVA app,
recent travels abroad or inter-state, and decide if the
person will require additional time away from school.
b) From local administration:
About the State and district help lines and the nearest
COVID Centre and other contact details for dealing with
emergency.
XVII Parents /guardians may take the following steps:
a) Provide written consent for their children to attend school if they
wish to send to school.
b) Ensure that their ward goes to school wearing a maskand
sensitise them not to exchange masks with others. Masks can
be made at home also. Face masks made of cloth may be
reused after thorough washing with soap. Disposal face masks
are to be disposed safely.
c) Encourage their ward to wear full-sleeved clothes to minimize
the interaction with any public surface.
d) Parents may take care not to send their ward to school if the
child is not feeling well.
e) Drop and pick children from school, as far as possible. If sent by
school bus then maintain physical/social distancing and ensure
that everyone is wearing a mask.
f) Ask their ward to practice physical/social distancing at all
times once she/he leaves home.
g) Clean and sanitize their ward’s uniform and other belongings daily.
h) Ensure that their ward maintains personal hygiene such as
bathing, brushing teeth properly twice a day (in the morning and
before sleeping) and trimming of nails.
i) Provide two clean small napkins/clean cloth daily with their ward
for wiping hands.
j) Parents should advise their wards that they will not share their
tiffin and water bottle with others.
k) It is advisable that parents/guardians download the
AAROGYASETU/COVA APP and let their ward commute only
when the App shows safe and low-risk status.
XVIII District level task force
A District Level Task Force will be created involving DIETs, DEOs
and other identified stakeholders for making random visits to
schools for observing their preparedness and safe operations.
This task force will also prepare a database on the requirements
of schools for safe functioning and adequate learning
achievements.
XIX Any thing which is not mentioned in these guidelines, then SOPs
issued by Department of School Education and Litracy (attached)
will be followed.
