Schools in Haryana will resume physical education lessons with strict COVID-19 rules, such as social exclusion for grades 1-3. Classes will resume in the state on September 20, 2021.
On Thursday, state education minister Kanwar Pal said Haryana schools for grades 1 to 3 would reopen from September 20. Classes will be held in strict compliance with COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Department of Education, he told reporters.
The minister, however, said that students were not required to attend school as online classes would run simultaneously. Parents need written permission for students to go to school.
According to the guidelines, a distance of at least six feet should be maintained between the two students, thermal scanning and hand sanitization should be done at the entrance and masks should be worn. Only one student is allowed to sit at a desk and sharing food is prohibited, the guidelines say. On September 1, schools reopened for 4th and 5th grade. The state had earlier in July allowed schools in grades 9 to 12 to reopen and students in grades 6 to 8 were allowed to return to school later.
In response to a question, Paul said more than 70 percent of school teachers have been vaccinated against covid. When asked about student attendance at the school, he said that on average about 70 per cent (grades 4 to 8) were present at present, although attendance was relatively low in districts like Mewat and Palwal. However, student attendance in the senior classes from 9 to 12 averaged about 45 percent, he said.
(PTI)