BHUBANESWAR: With new Covid cases continuing to drop considerably, the Odisha government on Thursday announced that it would reopen schools and colleges that were shut following the outbreak of the pandemic. Classes from Standard I to Standard VII will resume after almost two years.
Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said all educational institutions imparting any type of education of the level of Class VIII and above will start physical classroom teaching from February 7.
All schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, professional colleges and universities will reopen in the state. Classes from Standard I to Standard VII will, however, reopen from February 14.
“The number of Covid-19 cases and Omicron cases are seeing a decreasing trend in the state. In view of this and to mitigate the impact of learning loss of the students to the extent possible, the decision has been taken to reopen the educational institutions,” Mahapatra said.
As decided, students in schools can avail the option of online/off-line/hybrid teaching methods for the current academic year. The guidelines prevailing just before the closure of the institutions on January 10 will apply for higher education institutions.
Hostels and other residential facilities will also be opened as soon as the off-line classes begin. This apart, short-term courses, trainings, workshops and skill development training programmes will also be allowed in physical mode.
The government has asked departments concerned to notify the revised academic year and introduce bridge courses wherever required in consultation with respective authorities and regulatory bodies to help the students overcome the learning gaps.
Examinations for Classes up to Standard IX and for promotion of students from Standard XI to Standard XII will be done through class assessment. Students will be allowed the option of taking the examination either through off-line or online or hybrid mode depending upon the feasibility of the schools.
Examinations for Standard X and Standard XII students will be conducted as per the orders and guidelines of respective Boards/Councils or regulatory authorities.
Similarly, the examinations in higher education institutions, including technical and professional institutions, will be conducted as per approved guidelines issued on January 10.
While the departments managing the educational institutions have been asked to bring out detailed SOPs, the authorities have been advised to follow all Covid appropriate protocols and assist/counsel the children and their parents to cope with the situation.
Although a majority of active cases are recovering fast, the Chief Secretary maintained that Covid appropriate behavior and protocols are required to be observed scrupulously in order to prevent the transmission of the infection.