West Bengal: Schools conduct safety check ahead of NAS today

KOLKATA: Select schools have made arrangements for kids of classes III, V and VIII to take the National Achievement Survey on campus on Friday. The biggest rooms have been earmarked for the exam. On Thursday, these ‘survey rooms’ were sanitised after distanced seating arrangements were made. Reminders have been sent to parents so kids reach school between 7.30am and 8am. After attendance, lots will be drawn for 30 kids per class to be taken for the test.
In West Bengal 3,165 schools have been chosen for NAS. The field investigators, who are officials of the education department, and the observers, who are teachers of CBSE schools, reported to the respective co-ordinators on Thursday and a final count was taken in the evening. Some observers collected the survey materials from the co-ordinators on Thursday evening while others will do so by 6am on Friday, before reaching schools by 8am.
On Thursday, rosters were prepared by schools to send out teachers to other venues as observers. No teacher from the host school will be allowed to enter its survey room. “The rooms have been fumigated and sanitised, and hand sanitisers have been placed at vantage points. Covid-related signs were put up. A fully equipped isolation room with a nurse has been set up. Our teachers made the kids practice on OMR sheets so that they can familiarise themselves with the technique,” said Koeli Dey, principal of Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
St Augustine’s Day School, Shyamnagar, has got its safety protocol assessed and certified by the Quality Council of India before NAS because only Class III children will be assessed here. “We reminded parents about the entry time and the items kids have to carry, like HB pencil, eraser, two masks, sanitiser, water bottle and a small packet of biscuits,” said principal Father Rodney Borneo.
South Point High School has sanitised the building and conducted anti-viral treatment. “We have worked on routes kids can take so there is least cross-traffic,” said spokesperson Krishna Damani.