Unlock 5.0: Education Ministry issues guidelines for school reopening

The Education Ministry has tweeted the school reopening guidelines for Unlock 5.0. As per the directives for lifting the Covid-19 lockdown, schools, colleges and education intuitions in India can choose to reopen after October 15 only in non-containment zones. The exact dates will be subject to what the state governments decide.

For schools and coaching centres, governments of the individual states or union territories will take the decision after consulting with the managements of the schools or institutions.

The Department of Higher Education will decide on the timing of the opening of colleges and other higher education institutions in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Most parents are unwilling to send their kids to school till the Covid-19 danger is completely over. States like Uttar Pradesh have already issued the state-wise school reopening guidleines.

For schools and coaching centres:

Students would only be allowed to come to school with the written consent of



their parents and guardians. Online learning or distance mode will still be preferred and encouraged if students want to continue with online classes, they may be permitted.

States and union territories need to prepare their own SOPs based on the Education Ministry SOP, keeping the local requirements in view.

Schools which decide to reopen as part of Unlock 5.0 will need to mandatorily follow the SOP issued by the state education departments.

For colleges and higher education institutes:

Higher education institutes would reopen only for PhD research scholars and PG students in science and technology streams requiring experimental or lab work permitted on the following basis:

For Centrally Funded HEIs, the head of the institution has to satisfy himself/herself on the requirement of lab/experimental works

Other HEIs like state universities, private universities etc, may reopen only for lab/experimental works as per the decision of the respective states or UTs.