COVID-19 SOP/Guidelines for Health and Safety protocols for Reopening of Schools and Learning with Physical/Social Distancing

The Ministry of Home Affairs vide Order no. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) dated 30th

September, 2020 , has issued guidelines for re-opening, following lockdown

measures put in place for containment of COVID-19 in the country under the

under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Among the activities permitted

outside the Containment Zones is the re-opening of schools and coaching

institutions , after 15th October, 2020, in a graded manner , for which the

State/UT Government may take a decision in consultation with the

respective school/institution management, based on their assessment of the

situation and subject to the following conditions:

a. Online/distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of

teaching and shall be encouraged

b. Where schools are conducting online classes, and some students prefer to

attend online classes rather than physically attend school, they may be

permitted to do so.

c. Students may attend schools/institutions only with the written consent of

parents.

d. Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental

consent

e. States/ UTs will prepare their own Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

regarding health and safety precautions for reopening of

schools/institutions based on SOP to be issued by

Department of School

Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of

India, keeping local requirements in view.

f. Schools which are allowed to open, will have to mandatorily follow the

SOP to be issued by Education Departments of States/UTs prepared as

above.