Since the morning, students have been queuing up at school gates across West Bengal by the state government’s timetable for holding classes at different times for secondary and upper secondary sections at various locations. We implemented this division to minimise mixing and thereby prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
Highlights:
- As soon as they walked inside the school building, students and employees were exposed to thermal scanning.
- According to the state’s education minister, no child will be compelled to participate in physical education classes in the future.
- For the time being, kids in junior and middle schools will continue to learn in a virtual classroom setting via technology.
Schools across West Bengal resumed on Tuesday (November 16) for grades 9-12, with COVID-19 solid restrictions in place.
It is the first time schools have opened in recent months. Because of the epidemic, schools were obliged to discontinue physical education lessons. While children in junior and middle schools will continue to be taught online, for the time being, state Education Minister Bratya Basu has stated that attempts are being made to progressively return all kids to the classrooms in the following months and years.
Most schools in Kolkata and the surrounding districts of West Bengal have undertaken a considerable sanitisation effort and implemented Covid guidelines, which we would require all students, teachers, and non-teaching staff to observe. On the Covid guidelines, we have posted signs instructing children and instructors on what they should and should not do. A sanitiser has been put outside each classroom, and pupils will be required to undertake temperature checks and sanitise their hands upon entering the school,” stated Lt. Col Brij Bhushan Singh (Retd), Principal of The Bhawanipur Education Society School.
Additionally, a few schools in Kolkata have established isolation rooms for students and teachers experiencing high temperatures. If the children or staff become ill, we have set up an isolation chamber to hold them until the situation is resolved. If they exhibit any of the symptoms of Covid-19, the goal is not to keep them from getting into touch with others. In addition, Singh said, “We may be able to arrange for them to be picked up by members of their family.”
Since the morning, students have been queuing up at school gates across West Bengal by the state government’s timetable for holding classes at different times for secondary and upper secondary sections at various locations. They implemented this division to reduce mixing and thereby prevent the transmission of COVID-19. 
Upon entering the building, the teachers and staff members handed out hand sanitiser and heat guns, which they used to monitor the students’ temperatures. They instructed them to wear masks at all times throughout school hours. Basu has stated that no kid would be compelled to participate in physical education programs and that the decision to do so will be left to the students and their parents.
“During this period of transition, schools throughout the world are reopening their doors to welcome kids back into the classroom. Dear students, please perform well in your studies and follow all safety requirements, as I express my heartfelt love and best wishes to every one of you “Partha Chatterjee, a state minister, shared his thoughts on Twitter.
While pleased with the reopening of schools for physical education courses, some parents voiced concern about their children’s ability to comply with COVID safety requirements, given that they will be seeing each other and sitting in classrooms together for the first time in a long time. Physical education lessons were cancelled at educational institutions across the country in March 2020 after the federal government declared a COVID-induced lockdown.
Although the lockdown was eventually removed, schools and universities remained shuttered due to the pandemic scenario.
Similarly, colleges and universities opened their doors to new students on Tuesday. However, officials at many of these institutions have stated that we would set different days for other faculties to prevent congestion and mix on campuses. “I am overjoyed to be back in school after such a lengthy absence; engaging with friends and instructors online can never replace face-to-face interaction,” Sohini Mukherjee, a student at a private school in south Kolkata, told PTI.
Students have been urged not to share their tiffin and follow social distance rules to maintain their anonymity. As reported by the news agency, “While I have advised my kid to stick to the standards, I am not sure how far they will truly follow them, considering that they would be meeting after such a long period.” Partha Biswas, a parent of a class 9 student, expressed her concerns to the news agency.
Article Proofread and Edited by Shreedatri Banerjee
