Over 500 schools in Coimbatore district, which remained closed for nearly 10 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen on Tuesday for students of Class X and Class XII.
A School Education Department official said on Monday that all government, aided and private schools carried out disinfection of the school premises, particularly the classrooms. The desks in the classrooms were rearranged to accommodate only 25 students per room to maintain personal distancing norms.
The schools had been advised to announce intervals at different timings for each classroom to ensure that no crowding occurred at the toilets or on any school premises, the official said. The students had been instructed to bring their own food and water as sharing any items among the students would be discouraged to ensure their safety, she added.
All schools would arrange thermal scanning at the entrance and multiple handwashing points within the school premises. With masks being mandatory for students, teachers and the non-teaching staff, the schools had been advised to have a stock of masks to issue to those who had not worn it, the official said. The schools would give vitamin and zinc tablets to all the students.
“It is unlikely that regular classes will take place on the first day,” the official said. On Tuesday, the teachers would offer counselling to the students and would gather their details such as whether any of their family members had recently recovered from COVID-19. Besides, the students may clarify any doubts from the online classes, she said.
A headmistress of a government school here said the teachers would offer counselling for the first two days following the reopening. “As the students are returning to schools after a long gap, appropriate counselling will be given on Tuesday,” she said. All government schools would function as per the usual timings from 9.15 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., the headmistress said.
S. Sethurama Varma, Member Secretary of Teachers Recruitment Board who was appointed by the School Education Department as a nodal officer for school reopening in Coimbatore district, said he inspected seven schools in the district on Monday and the arrangements were carried out as per the standard operating procedures issued by the State government.
Corporation readies schools
On Tuesday, more than 6,000 Class X and Plus-Two students would return to high and higher secondary schools run by the Coimbatore Corporation.
The 12 high schools and 16 higher secondary schools would see 2,098 Class X and 3,942 Plus-Two students return to their classes, said a Corporation source. To welcome the students and to ensure that they studied in a safe environment, the Corporation had cleaned campuses and sanitised classrooms.
The Corporation had instructed the school headmasters or headmistresses concerned to ensure that they seated not more than 25 students a classroom.
The Corporation had also instructed the ward officials to ensure that they had cleaned the overhead water tank, toilets and the water filter worked. Notwithstanding that the school heads had instructed the students to take their water with them.
In those high schools that served noon meal, the Corporation had instructed the school heads to designate teachers to oversee the operations so that the food was cooked and served in a hygienic environment.
The teachers would also ensure that the students maintained physical distance while having lunch and that they did not share food. There would no prayer or morning assembly and physical education hour to prevent the gathering of students, the sources said.
The Corporation had also asked the class teachers to ensure that they prepared timetable in such a way that all students got to attend all subjects on all working days.