After a gap of around 18 months, physical teaching for Classes-VI and VII students resumed in the State on Monday. The schools were closed down for an indefinite period due to outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The students expressed happiness over the reopening of the schools.
The schools reopened for the Classes-VI and VII students strictly following Covid-19 guidelines and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) prepared by the School and Mass Education Department.
The teaching hour for the students started at 9.30 am and continued till 1 pm. The classes will continue on all days excluding Sundays and public holidays. There is no recession or lunch hour.
The classrooms were sanitised prior to the reopening of the classes. Students and teachers have followed Covid-19 guidelines including thermal scanning and use of mask.
At many places, schools have adopted murals with awareness messages to spread alertness among the children on the virus. While entering into the schools, the students have seen submitting NOC from their parents to attend classroom teaching.
Seating arrangements of students have been made in such a way that each student maintains social distance from each other. Earlier, teaching for Classes-VIII and XII students had been resumed in the State. Classes-I to V are likely to reopen early in the New Year, according to a recent statement of School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash.
“Physical teaching has no alternative. It’s easier to understand any subject while doing physical classes than online. I am feeling happy to attend the class and to meet friends and teachers,” said a student of the Unit-III Saraswati Sishu Vidyamandir of Bhubaneswar.
Notably, the students are allowed to attend the classes either in online mode or offline mode in consultation with their parents. Attendance is not mandatory for students in offline mode.