The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools wrote to the Karnataka state government on Monday, October 6, asking it to allow the reopening of schools for students in classes 9 to 12. The letter, addressed to Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, also included suggestions on measures schools can take to ensure students and faculty safety.

“Compulsory SOP (standard operating procedures) are to be maintained and daily checking and reading of temperature of every child and teacher to be maintained at all public and private schools,” read the letter.

One of the suggestions from the collective read, “9-12th standard should be permitted to function, looking at the seriousness of pandemic spread.” Another suggested that only three hours of classes should be allowed for the first month, with no lunch or snacks allowed. It also mentioned that no mass gatherings, including prayers, should be conducted and regular sanitisation of the school campus must be done.

The letter asked. “If any teacher/ staff/ non-teaching staff/ student is suspected COVID-19, either symptoms or primary contact, what education institutes should do?”

It also requested that the state government should think of measures to quarantine students and teachers in the event of Covid-19 cases.

The Karnataka Health Department and the Education Department held a joint meeting on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of reopening schools in the state.

At the end of the meeting, Health Minister B Sriramalu said that the health department would submit a report which lists their recommendations on the issue of reopening schools.

Source: The News Minute

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