Bhubaneswar: Principal Secretary, School & Mass Education, Bishnupada Sethi has issued guidelines for school reopening.
Soon after Chief Secretary announced resumption of physical classes in the schools, Mr. Sethi has issued the guidelines to the SPDs of OSEPA, OAVS, directors of Higher Secondary Education, Secondary Education, Elementary Education, the CHSE Chairman and the President, BSE.
The Government has been pleased to allow reopening of schools of all educational institutions as the Covid-19 positive cases and Omicron cases are in decreasing trend in Odisha.
All the educational institutions from Class/ Standard-VIII onwards will start physical class room teaching with effect from February 7, 2022 while the classes from Standard-I to VII will reopened w.e.f. February 14, 2022.
“For the current academic year, students in schools including higher secondary schools can avail the option of online/ offline/ hybrid teaching for their classes. Hostels and other residential facilities are also allowed to be opened up from the date of Offline classes begins,” Mr.Sethi said in his letter.
All Covid appropriate protocols i.e. physical distancing to be followed in the schools to the extent possible, order said.
Examinations for Classes upto Standard-IX and for promotion of students from Class -XI to XII will be done through class assessment. Students may be allowed the option of taking the examination either through offline or online or hybrid mode depending upon the feasibility of the schools. Detailed instructions will be issued subsequently, he said.
Examinations for Class X and XII will be conducted as per the orders and guidelines of BSE, Odisha, CHSE, Odisha and CBSE, New Delhi/ ICSE.
The respective directors will be facilitating introduction of bridge course to help the students to overcome the learning gaps and all efforts should be made by the institutions to assist/ hand hold/ counsel the children and their parents to cope with the situation.
The above guidelines will be applicable to all educational institutions including Government, Government Aided, Privately managed English & Odia Medium Schools coming under the administrative jurisdiction of School & Mass Education Department, he clarified.