Re-opening of all management Schools in AP Time Schedule, Guidelines G.O.Rt.No. 216 Dated:01.11.2020

School   Education – COVID-19 pandemic – Re-opening of Schools and Learning with  Physical/Social Distancing – Standard Operating Procedure(SOP) for Health and   Safety protocols to be followed in all schools functioning under all managements for the academic year 2020-21 – Certain Instructions – Issued. SCHOOL EDUCATION (PROG.II) DEPARTMENT

G.O.Rt.No. 216        Dated:01.11.2020                                                                                         

Read the following:

                                                                            

1)	D.O.Lr.No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A),   Dated:30.09.2020 of the Union Home Secretary, Chairman, NEC, GoI, New Delhi.
2)	G.O.Rt.No.433,   Health, Medical & Family Welfare (B2) Dept., Dated:05.10.2020.
3)	F.No.11-16/2020-Sch.4,   Dated:05.10.2020 of the Deputy Secretary to Govt., MHRD, GoI, with regard to   Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines for reopening of schools.
4)	D.O.Lr.No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A),   Dated:27.10.2020 of the Union Home Secretary and Chairman, NEC, GoI, New   Delhi.
5)	File No. ESE02-30/94/2020-A& I- CSE dated 30-10-2020 of the Director of School Education, A.P

O R D E R:

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India vide ref 1^st read above, has issued guidelines for re-opening of Schools and coaching institutions, after 15^th October, 2020 in a graded manner for which the State may take a decision in consultation with the respective school/ institution management, based on their assessment of the situation, and subject to the given conditions. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education, DoSEL, New Delhi has issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)/guidelines for reopening of schools after COVID-19 lockdown.

 

2.       In pursuance of the instructions issued by the GoI, and the circumstances reported by the Director of School Education, A.P., vide Letter 5^th read above, the Government hereby orders the following protocol for reopening of schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh:

Day of reopening:

 

3.      Schools shall be reopened on 2^nd November, 2020 in a graded manner. The graded manner for reopening of schools under all managements is as follows:

 

Sl.No	Date of Opening	Schools	Classes
1	2nd November,   2020	All Managements	9th to 12th
2	2nd November – 23rd Nov 2020	Residential Schools and hostels	9th to 12th
3	23rd November,   2020	All Managements	6th to 8th
4	14th December,   2020	All Managements	1st to 5th

 

Note: The present scenario of conducting of online classes may be continued until resuming the regular classes for respective grades.

Graded manner:

4. Schools will function for half a day (09 A.M to 01.30 P.M) for the month of November, 2020 and students will be sent home after Mid-Day Meal.

5. Not more than 16 students may be accommodated in a classroom ensuring at least 6 feet distance between students in the seating plan. The students will attend classes on alternative days. For eg., Class IX on one day and Class X on another day. After 23^rd  November, classes 6^th, 8^th  will attend on one day and classes 7^th and 9^th on another day. After 14^th December, classes 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th , 9^th  will be run on one day and classes 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, 8^th will be run on the second day. However class X will be run every day. In case the student strength is more than 750, the students will be grouped into 3 batches and each batch will attend the school once in 3 days. The detailed schedule has to be prepared by each headmaster based on the total strength, availability of space duly following the principle of 16 students for an average classroom size.

6.  If available, temporary space or outdoor spaces (in case of pleasant weather) may be utilized for conducting classes, keeping in view of the safety and security of the children and physical distance protocol.

7. Teachers should attend to the schools every day (i.e., Morning session - classroom instruction: Afternoon session - Online classes.

8.  All schools under all managements will conduct classes as per the schedule proposed and guidelines prescribed in the Academic Calendar and they have to provide Mid-Day Meal to the students attending.

9.  The school timings for the month of December will be taken based on the assessment of the situation in November. 

Hostels and Residential Schools

10.     9^th to 12^th class students will be permitted in hostels/ Residential schools based on the availability of accommodation from 2^nd November, 2020. In case the institutions are not ready with accommodation and other facilities, they may open them up by 23^rd November, 202O. Meanwhile, the inmates may be suggested to attend the classes at their nearest Government Schools/online sessions.

11.     Instructions with regard to hostel facility for students from Class III to VIII will be issued subsequently. Those students may also attend the nearest Government schools as day scholars and take mid day meal. The respective Government Departments may take up detailed student-institution mapping and advise the students accordingly.

Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for opening and running of schools

12.     The standard Operating Procedure for opening and running of schools as directed by Government of India is enclosed to this order. The Director, School Education, Andhra Pradesh shall communicate a Telugu translation of the SoP to the Regional Joint Directors of School Education and District Education Officers for wide dissemination and to create awareness among the heads of the institutions, teachers, parents, students and the general public on the SoP.

State Level responsibilities:

13.  While adhering to the SoP communicated by Government of India the following responsibilities which are state specific, shall be attended to immediately.

1. School Academic Calendar: SCERT, Andhra Pradesh has prepared the school academic calendar focusing on learning outcomes and encouraged pedagogies that promote socio – emotional and foundational learning skills among children. For this purpose, the school academic year 2020-21 shall be from 2-11-2020 to 30-4-2021 with 180 days. All the days shall be treated as learning days. However on those            

days such as Sundays and Public holidays when the schools do not function, the children have to carry learning at home. For this purpose, the entire syllabus has been graded into the core syllabus which is taught in the schools, the chapters that the student can learn at home and those chapters that can be left out this year. Director, School Education shall communicate the academic calendar with class wise, subject wise syllabus with the above classification and also the assessment schedule on the lines suggested by Government of India.

2. Time-table: School Timetable (annexure-I) and student timetable at home (annexure-II) for the month of November for model is placed.
3. District Level Task Force: Constitution of District Level Taskforce involving identified stake holders for random visits to schools for observing their preparedness and safe operations (Checklists enclosed at annexure - III). 

1. Capacity building of teachers for digital education: Director of School Education, A.P & S.P.D. Samagra Shiksha shall made arrangements for online/digital education capacity building through television channel, radio and other online and social media tools, on COVID-19 infection, preventive measures, tackling students and parents in this situation, teaching – learning with new perspectives limitations of physical distance etc., with modules and videos.
2. Hassle free admissions to children of migrant labourers: In view of the lockdown due to COVID-19 a large number of migrant labourers are returning to their homes and are likely to stay there for varying periods. Along with the migrant workers, their families and children are also returning to their homes. For these children this will lead to a disruption in their studies and learning.  Hence the Director, School Education shall issue instructions to the field level functionaries to give automatic admission to the children of migrant labourers in order to ensure that there is no loss of learning or academic year for all such children.
3. Ensuring safe transport: All institutions under all managements to ensure safe transport and follow the COVID-19 Protocol.
1. Ensure sanitization of school transport before they start plying.
2. Since students may be coming from different locations by using public transports such as buses, trains, etc., it is important that they should minimize their contact and interaction with others on arrival at hostel, and effectively, maintain quarantine as per State/UT requirement. Their health status should be monitored during the period.
3. Sanitization of school transportation on regular basis at least twice a day – once before children board the transport and once after.
4. As far as possible, parents may be encouraged to use their personal transport   to drop their children to school.
5. All commuters to wear face cover/masks in the bus/cab. School transport should not permit children without masks to board buses.
6. Students commuting through public transport should be adequately guided by schools to take all precautions such as – physical/social distancing, covering nose and mouth with up face cloth/masks, sanitizing hands when touching any surface etc.

School Specific Standard Operating Procedure (SoP)

14.     Institutions/schools shall prepare their own institution/school level SOPs in consultation with the Parents Committees (PCs) for all activities which include use of playground, library and laboratory, break time, regular cleaning and disinfection of school infrastructure, use of school transport, private pick up and drop off facility, monitor and plan for absenteeism of both staff and students, information sharing system with partners, dealing with emergency situation, visit of service providers, parents and other visitors to school etc., by involving the Parents Committees, keeping in view the safety and physical/social distancing norms, and ensuring that the notices/posters /messages/ communication to parents in this regard are prominently displayed/ disseminated.

Mid Day Meals (Jagananna Gorumudda) Scheme:

15.     To meet the nutritional requirements of children and safeguard their immunity during the COVID-19 outbreak, providing hot cooked Mid-day Meal to eligible children is mandatory and essential. Accordingly, the detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were issued with respect of all activities related to providing of Mid-day Meal to children.

1. With regard to safe distribution of Mid Day Meal by the schools adopt various mechanisms/methods which may include staggered distribution.
2. Physical/social distancing norms may be observed in the kitchen as well. While taking midday meal children should not sit facing each other. The normal practice of all children sitting in a line with physical distancing, facing one direction only shall be continued.
3. No other person may be allowed in the kitchen except minimum essential staff.     
4. Cleanliness of kitchen and its staff must be ensured.
5. Further, suggested that, to ensure staggered timing for having midday meals to avoid crowding.
6. The Director, Midday Meal and Sanitation shall communicate detailed guidelines for serving Mid-day meal in schools immediately.

Constructing a social bubble

16.    While running the schools and classes, it is important to construct a social bubble to ensure that the spread of virus is prevented/controlled.  The bubble shall ensure that necessary physical distance is maintained, everybody  wears a mask, and the social interaction is limited to the members within the bubble and all the members agree upon the rules of interaction . They shall move as a bubble either in the classroom or in the laboratory, library or at the midday meal and should not intermingle with other bubbles.

Checklists:

17.     Checklists for safe school environment for Schools (i.e., School Administrators, Teachers and other Staff), Parents and Students to contain the spread of COVID-19 adopted from UNICEF guidelines and the schools can contextualize them as per their needs/plans/procedures.

SoP from Medical and Health Department

18.     The Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare shall issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) from the Medical and Health perspective immediately.

SoP from Transportation Department

19.     The Commissioner, Transport, Andhra Pradesh shall issue a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) along with IEC/BCC Protocols while ferrying school going children using school buses / auto rickshaws immediately.

20.     The Director of School Education, A.P, the State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, the Secretary, APREIS/APSWREIS/APTWREIS/APBCWREIS, etc., Commissioner and Director, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Director of Government Examinations, District Collectors and RJDSEs and DEOs shall take further necessary action in the matter accordingly. Standard Operating Procedure is appended to the G.O. at Annexure –I to III.

Download G.O.Rt.No. 216 and complete guidelines