After reopening government schools in phased manner, Punjab Government has decided to make the residential Meritorious Schools situated at Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Sangrur and Talwara (Hoshiarpur) functional from February 9.
Punjab school education minister Vijay Inder Singla on Saturday said that due to unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Meritorious Schools were converted into Covid Care Centers and hundreds of Covid positive patients were quarantined there. The cabinet minister said that these residential schools were being run under the aegis of “Society For Promotion Of Quality Education For Poor and Meritorious Students of Punjab” to provide free education facilities along with boarding and lodging exclusively to the students aspiring to crack competitive entrance examinations to seek admission in medical and engineering institutions. He added that after the decision of reopening of these schools, the directions for strict adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines have been issued for the students, teachers, Mess, Canteen Workers.
Singla said that due to the pandemic, the entrance test for the admission to Meritorious Schools could not be conducted last year for the aspirant students seeking admission in Class 11th.
“The Punjab government, considering their aspirations sympathetically, has decided to provide an opportunity to the 11th class students studying in Government schools, who have enrolled themselves for appearing in the Entrance Examination for seeking admission to Meritorious Schools last year, to take the entrance examination this year. They would be admitted to 12th class in Meritorious Schools on merit basis for the session 2021-22,” the school education Minister said.
Singla said that the 12th class students of all the Meritorious schools as well as the 10th class students studying in Meritorious School, Talwara ( Hoshiarpur), who wish to join the school with the consent from their parents, would have to bring the COVID-19 negative report ( RT-PRC Certificate). He added that all the students shall bring necessary belongings like sanitizers, seven usable masks (washable), soap, stationery /water-bottles, clothes etc. and sharing /exchanging of these items will not be allowed.
The cabinet minister said that at the entrance of the school gates, thermal scanners shall be provided to security staff so that all incomers are screened before entering the school premises. The students shall be quarantined for 24 hours after joining the schools. The aspect of social distancing in hostel rooms as well as classrooms would be strictly adhered to. There must be a minimum of 6 ft. distance in between the beds in hostel rooms and in classrooms separate benches would be provided to each and every student. The strength of the sections would be doubled to maintain proper social distancing. The male/female wardens would monitor the adherence of social distancing in each and every room of the hostels. Students counseling shall regularly be ensured by teachers/ wardens to take care of their mental, physical and emotional health.
