Schools are scheduled to reopen in andhra pradesh on august 3, and students are expected to return to a very different school experience than they were used to until march, before the pandemic arrived and the lockdown began. Schools in Andhra are now likely to run in shifts to bring down student strength and some students may even have classes on alternate days depending on the size of the school. Morning assemblies on the school grounds are likely to become a thing of the past, along with team sports in the PE period.
While public transport, offices, shops, and various businesses and industries are resuming operations with protocols in place to avoid infection, imposing physical distancing and other precautionary measures in classrooms, playgrounds and school buses filled with children can be extremely difficult for parents, teachers and school staff. The Commissioner of school education (CSE), v china Veerabhadrudu, has drafted a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for reopening schools at a time when the state is dealing with COVID-19.
As per the SOP, various surfaces within the school premises, with a high possibility of contact, are to be disinfected, including the gate, door handles, electrical switches, windows, the bathrooms, toilets, sinks or wash-basins, drinking water taps, playground equipment, walls, benches etc., daily after school hours. A fever check shall be done at the entry to the school, and automatic handwash stations are to be set up so students can wash their hands before entering the school. Masks will be provided to students and teachers, and the use of masks and gloves will be made compulsory for teachers and the mid-day meal staff. For students, carrying a handkerchief will be made a compulsory and a part of their school uniform.
