Odisha Government has prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) after announcing its decision to reopen schools across the State for Class X and XII students from 8 January.
All the Schools have been closed in the State since 17 March 2019 due to COVID-19 Pandemic
As per the SOP, online learning will continue to be preferred mode of teaching and will be encouraged. But students may attend schools with the written consent of parents.
Attendance must not be enforced and must depend entirely on parental consent, State Government directed.
The online and classroom learning will go in tandem with each other and will continue to share timelines and daily schedules, the SOP said.
It said where schools are conducting online classes and some students prefer to attend online classes rather than physically attend school, they may be permitted to do so.
The SOP said that the teacher may prepare a comprehensive plan for subjects and classes he/she teaches and time-table as well as interesting activities for the execution of this plan, before the opening of the schools.
While preparing this plan, teachers need to keep in mind the arrangement being made by schools related to physical social distancing and maintaining health and hygiene, as these need to be linked with the syllabus and learning outcomes, it said adding that they should also prepare posters on precautions related to COVID-19, on physical social distancing, about COVID-19, etc.
The teachers should also survey availability of technological tools (smartphone with the internet, television, radio, laptop, tablets, etc.) at the home of the students and their accessibility to students; parents guardian’s or sibling’s educational details, etc., and make a database of the same for the students of every class (this will help them make a plan of their study at school and home) besides developing flexible attendance and sick leave policies.
They should discourage awards for perfect attendance.
On re-opening of schools, the teachers should allow children to attend school with written consent of their parents, advise, instruct, suggest, explain about the COVID-19, precautions to be taken, safe stay at home, commuting, etc., repeatedly by conducting fun activities involving students and focusing on learning outcomes even if they are awareness activities, study alternative academic calendar by NCERT/SCERT for making classroom plans and also giving home tasks.
In case of availability of technological equipment in the school, utilize the e-Contents and e-Textbooks for students learning and for the professional development of teachers link, energized textbooks and e-content through Diksha app and portal DTH–TV channel of NCERT ‘Kishore Manch’ under SWAYAMPrabha network telecast video programs based on Alternative Academic Calendar (AAC).
They should explore local radio and TV stations for the development and delivery of e-contents and sensitizing stakeholders on prevention of COVID-19.
The capacity building of teachers on use of these resources should be done through online modes like MOOCs, TV channels, Web portals, and Apps, SOP pointed out.