As the saying goes, the devil is in the details, Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, on Tuesday, informed that schools for Class 9 to Class 12 will begin from November 23 for four hours with lectures of 40 minutes each.
Schools will function on alternate days. It will be binding on teachers and students to wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distance. As a precautionary measure, students whose family members are ill have been advised not to attend lectures physically.
The district administration and municipal corporations will conduct the tests of teachers. The school administration has been given a freehand to conduct classes in the playground or in open places while maintaining social distance. Gaikwad said, “Before reopening schools, a health check up of teachers will be done by the district administration and the municipal corporation. They will also undergo RT-PCR tests. Under the My Family, My Responsibility campaign, the state government has already collected key data with regards to the health status of citizens, which will come in handy for teachers too.” She, however, insisted that teachers will have to strictly follow COVID-19 protocols released by the central and state government from time to time during the pandemic.
“The Education Department has already issued instructions to the local administration to take proper precaution while reopening schools as safety is of paramount importance,” noted Gaikwad. She reiterated that the teachers and non teaching staff as well as students will have to follow health-related rules. Gaikwad said that the department has launched online education as an alternative with an objective to reach out to students through YouTube, Google Link, Zoom and WhatsApp.
