Consent letter from parents must for students attending school: Education Minister Sabitha

HYDERABAD: The schools will reopen from February 1 for students of Class IX onwards and written consent from parents allowing their children to attend schools will be mandatory, said Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said on Monday.

She also said that schools have been directed to have nurses at school premises, draft a medical plan, ensure all sanitation measures were in place. Covid-19 preventive measures including maintaining six feet distance between students in the classrooms must be followed. 

Also, residential schools have been told to keep isolation rooms ready in case someone gets infected. 
She was speaking to the media after a Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting in the city on reopening of the schools, which was attended by a host of ministers and the Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. Sabitha said that directions had been issued to all departments concerned to ensure that schools were ready by January 25, so that they could seamlessly welcome back students from February 1.

Making the schools ready till January 25 will include sanitisation of the schools and rectifying all sorts of issues including electrical, drinking water, and toilets, among others. Sabitha said that committees had been formed under Collectors of all districts for the purpose and the Collectors had been directed to take up readying of the schools as a top priority task. She said that while the students must wear mask and take necessary precautions, the same applies to teachers as well. 

Regarding the issue of private schools violating government rules regarding collection of fees in view of Covid-19, Sabitha  said that the schools must not collect any other fees apart from the tuition fees and that attendance was also not compulsory. 

She asked the managements of private schools to strictly follow the norms regarding collection of fees and also regarding Covid-19 preventive measures, once they reopen. The schools have remained closed since the lockdown last year. The Minister said that 50-60 lakh students from Class I to VIII were promoted without examination. She added that 85 per cent of the students were attending the online classes through T-SAT network and Doordarshan.