Schools stay shut for students in Amritsar

Neha Saini
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 21

The government and private schools have refrained from reopening as the Punjab Government has put a blanket ban in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, school managements have asked 50 per cent staff to report on duty as directions from the state government are expected soon. Relaxations for teaching and non-teaching staff had been allowed as per standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

DEO Satinderbir Singh Samra said the directions issued by the Department of Secondary Education in this regard were yet to be received by the DEO, Amritsar.

He said, “Fifty per cent staff has resumed their duties. We are sanitising school premises in the district and making other arrangements, including reducing desks in each classroom to ensure social distancing.”

Management of private schools in the city said though they were prepared to reopen the institutes, but best option would be to continue with online education.

Rajiv Kumar Sharma, principal, Springdales School, “So far, schools have managed very well through online mode of education. We will hold mid-term exams through distance mode in the coming week, thus there is no immediate plan to call the students to school. We are fully geared up to switch to physical classes as and when the need is felt. We will take parents into confidence before holding classes in the school.”

Manjot Dhillon, director, Mount Litera School, said schools have to reopen for senior students as they have to prepare for board exams. “Online teaching is good in order to complete the syllabus, but students of Class X and XII, need to take regular classes for clearing their doubts and preparing for board exams,” she said.

“School managements need to ensure that all precautions are in place and safety of kids is paramount,” she said and added that they had conducted a survey and majority of parents did not agree to send their children to attend classes in school.

“City is witnessing surge in Covid-19 cases every day. In the given scenario, parents are not in favour of sending their kids to schools,” she said.

Anjana Gupta, principal, DAV International School, said they would reopen the institute whenever they receive directions from the state government. “We have to be ready to reopen schools and continue with online classes. The challenge will be to simultaneously carry on with both alternatives.”

The Centre had made it mandatory to have thermal scanners at school gates to monitor temperature of students and staff. Apart from sanitisation, masks were made mandatory and schools had been asked to function at 50 per cent capacity.