Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) after announcing its decision to reopen schools across the State for Class 10 and 12 students. Worth mentioning, the schools including private ones have been closed in the State since March 17, 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic situation.

As per the SOP, online learning will continue to be preferred mode of teaching and will be encouraged. But students may attend schools with the written consent of parents. Attendance must not be enforced and must depend entirely on parental consent.

Online and classroom learning will go in tandem with each other and will continue to share timelines and daily schedules, the SOP added.

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, the SOP mentioned.

SOP FOR TEACHERS:

Teacher may take the following steps:
1. Before reopening of the school

a. Prepare a comprehensive plan for subjects and classes he/she teaches and time-table as well as interesting activities for the execution of this plan. While preparing this plan, teachers need to keep in mind the arrangement being made by schools related to physical social distancing and maintaining health and hygiene, as these need to be linked with the syllabus and learning outcomes.

b. Prepare posters on precautions related to COVID-19, on physical social distancing, about COVID-19, etc.

c. Survey availability of technological tools (smartphone with the internet, television, radio, laptop, tablets, etc.) at the home of the students and their accessibility to students; parents guardian's or sibling's educational details, etc., and make a database of the same for the students of every class (this will help them make a plan of their study at school and home).

d. Develop flexible attendance and sick leave policies: discourage awards for perfect attendance.

2. On re-opening of schools:

a. Allow children to attend school with written consent of their parents.

b. Advise, instruct, suggest, explain about the COVID-19, precautions to be taken, safe stay at home, commuting, etc., repeatedly by conducting fun activities involving students and focusing on learning outcomes even if they are awareness activities

c. Study alternative academic calendar by NCERT/SCERTfor making classroom plans and also giving home tasks.

d. In case of availability of technological equipment in the school, utilize the following resources:
• e-contents and e-textbooks for students learning and for the professional development of teachers link. Energized Textbooks and e-content through Diksha app and portal
DTH - TV channel of NCERT #31 Kishore Manch under SWAYAMPrabha network telecast video programmes based on Alternative Academic Calendar (AAC)
• Local Radio and TV stations for the development and delivery of e-contents and sensitizing stakeholders on prevention of COVID-19.
Capacity building of teachers on use of these resources should be done through online modes like MOOCs, TV Channels, Web portals, and Apps.

e. Make use of Flipped learning pedagogy where students have access to TV at home. The upcoming dedicated class-wise TV channels can be used for that wherein students attend the TV programs at home and only discussions and formative assessment happens in class.

f. Observe every child in the class continuously for physical health and mental health issues. In case of any symptom of this kind, parents may be informed and seek medical help for the child.

g. Prepare and disseminate posters, banners, brochures, infographics, etc., on cyber safety and security to keep students safe in cyberspace. Cyber safety is an international concern.

h. Maintain studentsmedical record including a history of infection of the disease in the family community.

IV. PARENTS / GUARDIANS

Parents/guardians may take the following steps:

1. Provide written consent for their children to attend school if they wish to send to school.

2. Ensure that their ward goes to school wearing a mask and sensitise them not to exchange masks with others. Masks can be made at home also. Face masks made of cloth may be reused after thorough washing with soap. Disposal face masks are to be disposed safely.

3. Encourage their ward to wear full-sleeved clothes to minimize the interaction with any public surface.

4. Parents may take care not to send their ward to school if the child is not feeling well.

5. Drop and pick children from school, as far as possible. If sent by school bus then maintain physical/social distancing and ensure that everyone is wearing a mask.

6. Ask their ward to practice physical social distancing at all times once she/he leaves home.

7. Clean and sanitize their ward's uniform and other belongings daily.

8. Ensure that their ward maintains personal hygiene such as bathing, brushing teeth properly twice a day in the morning and before sleeping) and trimming of nails.

9. Provide two clean small napkins clean cloth daily with their ward for wiping hands. 10. Give healthy food, fresh fruits, and clean water in their lunch box or send a tiffin box for mid-day meal and advise their ward not to share their tiffin and water bottle with others.

11. It is advisable that parents guardians download the AAROGYASETU APP and let their ward commute only when the App shows safe and low-risk status