Written by Sandeep Ashar | Mumbai |
Published: May 24, 2020 1:16:09 am
At the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak within the nation, Maharashtra is planning to reopen its colleges from June 15 onwards. State School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad has indicated that the return to common lessons will probably be gradual, with colleges in non-red zones reopening first.
In the fourth section of the lockdown, Maharashtra has recognized municipal company areas in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur and 15 different cities as crimson zones.
From May 22, curbs have been significantly eased within the remaining areas of the state, which have been labelled non-red zones.
Speaking to The Palava News, the minister spoke on plans of working lessons in shifts, shortening college hours, banning morning assemblies and sporting actions as measures to make sure social distancing. “Maintaining social distancing is the key. The option of pairing students with odd roll numbers and calling them in the first shift and the ones with even roll numbers in the second shift is being considered. Another option is to call a batch of class students every alternate day,” she mentioned. “At all costs, physical distance will have to be maintained. Only one student will be permitted on one desk,” she added.
Of the opinion that continued college closures may have a detrimental impression on pupil progress, she mentioned that the federal government was formulating new customary working procedures (SOPs) for colleges to decrease the danger of an infection for college kids and academics after they return to highschool. But so far as colleges in Mumbai and different crimson zones are involved, the Education Minister indicated that “things needed to improve further before they plan reopening of schools”.
She mentioned colleges in these cities had switched to e-teaching. “Our bigger concern at the moment is continuity of education of poor children from rural and tribal areas who do not have access to a smartphone or live in areas without internet connectivity. Classroom lessons are vital for them.”
Meanwhile, as a part of Covid-19 precautionary measures, Maharashtra is analyzing the opportunity of figuring out areas inside instructional complexes the place college students, academics and workers who fall sick or develop signs much like a coronavirus an infection might be quarantined. Under the brand new security tips, dad and mom might not be permitted inside college complexes.
While colleges in Maharashtra are required to show for 48 hours in per week, the minister indicated that the variety of hours will come down considerably with the training division planning to scale back college timing by half to start with.
While admitting to unavoidable delays in paper evaluation work for the state secondary and better secondary board exams, she mentioned there are plans to announce the outcomes of each by the third week of June.
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