UT Chandigarh issues new guidelines for reopening of schools

CHANDIGARH: UT education department on Friday issued fresh guidelines for calling students of classes IX to XII to school. As per the new schedule from Monday students of classes, IX and XI will also be called to the school. UT education department has also allotted time slots for sessions in which students are to be called.
As per the latest guidelines students of classes X and XII will have a session from 9 am to 11.30 am and students of classes IX and XI will be called from 12noon till 2.30 pm.Also now teachers will remain in the school from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm. Also for any absence of consecutive 3 days, the teachers will now have to give a medical certificate issued by the government body.
As per officials, timings have been changed to bring uniformity to the reopening of schools. “After visiting various schools, it was observed that schools are following a staggered schedule. To maintain uniformity and to streamline the process, new instructions are to be followed by all the schools with immediate effect,” district education officer Alka Mehta stated.
Also as per the new guidelines Principals, heads, and in charges will attend school daily for complete working hours and to ensure that all instructions are being followed.
Students will attend the school only on a voluntary basis as per earlier guidelines. 50% of the teaching staff will be called to the school from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm. Heads have been told to ensure that timetable is prepared in such a manner that the teachers attend the school on alternate days.
Teachers of Middle and Primary schools will also attend the school and the norm of 50% of staff will be followed in these schools also. Teachers teaching the elementary classes but present in the school and have not been allocated any period or are not providing guidance to students will continue to take online classes even when they are present in the schools.
All the teachers coming to the schools will continue to undertake online classes under the supervision of the respective head. Any teacher who is not well and has taken leave for consecutive three days will have to produce a medical certificate from Government Hospital.
IT has further been clarified that all the instructions SOPs issued by authorities have to be followed strictly. These instructions will be reviewed in due course. In UT Chandigarh schools reopened on September 21.