Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Rajesh K Shavan today directed the heads of the schools to ensure strict adherence to COVID standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of students while reopening the schools for 10th and 12th classes in the district.He was chairing a meeting to review the arrangements made by the education department for reopening schools in the district.The meeting evaluated and finalized a detailed plan for the preparedness of schools to adhere to and implement SOPs, vaccination of staff, addressing concerns of parents and involvement of all stakeholders.The meeting was attended by ADDC, Pawan Kumar; CEO RDA, Vivek Puri; ACD, Sushil Khajuria, CEO Education, Gulzar Hussain; CMO, Dr Shamim Un Nissa Bhatti; Dy CMO, Dr Anees Altaf Nabi; ACP, Abdul Rashid; ZEOs besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.The meeting was informed that after a prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in Jammu and Kashmir are set to reopen for classes 10 and 12 students with 50 per cent capacity.The schools, except for relaxations as provided for students of 12th and 10th classes, shall continue to remain closed for on-site/in-person teaching. According to the guidelines, classes for students of the 12th standard would be permitted with in-person attendance not exceeding 50 per cent of capacity on a given day.The Chief Education Officer apprised that there are more than twelve thousand school going students of class 10 and class 12th in the district. The DC directed the concerned to ensure that all the students of 10th and 12th classes are tested for COVID19 at the earliest and make sure that the schools are reopened in two days.The DC asked the ZEOs to ensure that all the schools of their respective zones have functional toilets and drinking water facilities.It was made clear that the private schools would be allowed to hold classes after all the students are tested for COVID19.Further, the DC issued instructions to the Principals of the Colleges for the hundred per cent vaccination of all the college-going students. Special vaccination camps would also be organised to inoculate the students and no student shall enter the college until and unless he/ she possesses a vaccination certificate with them.The Principals were also asked to tell the students to motivate their family members to get inoculated for COVID19 at the earliest.The Deputy Commissioner emphasised the need to take care of students’ health, safety and psychological aspects after the resumption of physical classes.The Deputy Commissioner also asked the Heads of Institutions to ensure proper cleanliness and sanitation in the educational institutions.He said that random testing of the students would also be done regularly by the special teams to avoid the risk of infection.
