BHUBANESWAR: After a summer break of 11 days, schools reopened on Friday with a revised timeline and new learning calendar. The class timing for students has been kept from 10 am to 4 pm. Teachers, however, are required to reach schools by 9:30 am and stay till 4:30 pm.
Attendance of students on the day was relatively low. Besides, the adherence to COVID safety protocol was minimal in many schools due to relaxation of norms.
Odisha School Education Programme Authority officials said standing instructions have been given to all schools to ensure strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour on campuses and hostels to check spread of infection as cases have started rising in the State recently.
If required, the department may take up the matter with the district education officers (DEOs) again. Officials also said the attendance will improve from next week onwards. The government had limited the summer vacation to 11 days from June 6 to 16 to carry out a learning recovery plan.
The government had also asked the DEOs and officials of Samagra Siksha to prepare a learning calendar prior to reopening of schools to ensure completion of 100 per cent syllabus in 2022-23 academic session.
Officials said school headmasters have been instructed to hold meetings with teaching staff for preparation of lessons and time tables in accordance with the syllabus. Books developed under ‘foundational literacy and numeracy’ and other learning recovery programmes will be introduced at elementary level in new session.