Delhi schools to reopen with 50% students per classroom, staggered breaks

The DDMA has said that students, teachers and other employees living in Covid containment zones will not be allowed to come to schools and colleges

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday issued guidelines such as mandatory thermal screening, staggered lunch breaks and alternate seating arragenments for the reopening of schools and colleges from September 1.

Delhi schools will open with a maximum of 50 per cent students inside a classroom. The body has advised schools to avoid guest visits and not allow teachers and other staff from Covid-19 containment zones.

The DDMA has announced phased reopening of educational institutions -- class 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions would reopen from September 1, while class 6-8 will start from September 8. Students can choose whether to come to schools or not. Those willing to attend physical classes would require their parents' consent.

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Timetables are to be prepapred as per occupancy limit of classrooms. "A maximum 50 per cent students per classroom may be called depending upon capacity. The seating arrangement should be done in such a way that seats are occupied in an alternate manner," the guidelines said.

The educational institutions should stagger the schedule to avoid crowding in classrooms and at main entrance or exit, it said.

Lunch breaks could also be staggered and preferably be held in open areas. Students should also be advised to not share lunch, books and stationery items.

The DDMA said the vaccination centres and activities such as ration distribution at schools will continue but should be separated from the area that will be used for academic activities.

The district administration should cordon off the area demarcated for the purpose, make separate entry and exit for the centres and deploy sufficient number of civil defense volunteers to avoid mingling of students with the persons coming with students, it said.

On-campus counselling and guidance of students and teachers should be conducted to give emotional or trauma support for their readiness with new normal of stringent physical distancing, face mask guidelines and hygiene guidelines, it said.

Mandatory thermal screening of everyone, thorough sanitisation of all buildings and proper handwashing arrangements should be arranged. "All schools and colleges are advised to ensure that a quarantine room is available for emergency use," the guidelines said.