One Child Per Bench: Schools Reopen In 2 Maharashtra Districts

Source: Indian Express

Almost 15 students, one student in each bench wearing masks are attending classes in Karmavir Vidyalaya in Chandrapur district’s Madheli village since July 6. The school is among those schools in Maharashtra which has reopened physically after a long shut down due to the pandemic.

The State Education Department issued guidelines on June 15 regarding the physical reopening of schools, permitting the district administrators to reopen schools from classes 9 to 12 in areas which does not hold any cases of covid-19 for atleast a month.

The guidelines contradict to a recent order by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that had stated that all schools in the country will remain closed until July 31.

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On the first day, the attendance was 50 percent of the total strength, which increased to about 85 per cent the second day. The school has not made attendance compulsory yet, but expects all remaining students to join in the coming week. No parent will be allowed on premises.

For students of other classes, the school has launched the ‘Shikshak Vidyarthyancha Dari’ (teacher at students’ doorstep) initiative, where teachers have been visiting villages to teach children in open spaces, while maintaining distance. “We began sending teachers to villages from July 7 and have so far covered neighbouring Bori, Galka, Wadgaon and Pawni villages. The attendance was 100 per cent.

The village gram panchayat sponsored sanitisers for the students, each made to sit alone on a bench.