Dimapur, February 5 (MExN): The Nagaland government on Saturday announced a new set of health and safety SOPs that will need to be observed by government and private schools for welcoming students back to educational institutions.
This comes after the state government announced on January 31 that offline or physical classes for students of Classes 1 to 8 would be allowed from February 15, subject to parental consent of individual students and fulfilment of the conditions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that will be issued by the Home Department.
The guidelines which were issued by Nagaland Chief Secretary and Chairperson of the State Executive Committee J Alam, underscored that schools would have to seek prior consent of the parents with regard to the attendance of any student for the physical or offline classes. For those students whose parents have not consented, the present system of online teaching by the schools for such students shall be continued.
According to the new guidelines, considering the need to continue taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus, the physical classes will have to be conducted allowing only 50% of students per classroom.
For schools that are reopening, school authorities will have to ensure that generic preventive measures such as mandatory wearing of face masks, physical distancing in classrooms and within school premises, and frequent washing or sanitising of hands, etc is observed by all teachers, employees and students at all times.
The guidelines further stipulated that reopening of any school would be subject to the vaccination status of all the teachers and non-teaching staff of the School concerned. It said that all the teachers and non-teaching staff should be fully vaccinated (taken both the doses) against COVID-19. However, if not vaccinated, then the person concerned should have been tested negative for COVID-19 through either RT-PCR or TrueNat or CBNAAT once in every 15 days.
Additionally, schools planning to reopen for physical classes will also have to submit a list of all teaching and non-teaching staff along with vaccination or testing status, as well as the arrangements being made for ensuring adherence to all the provisions of the Standing Operating Procedures (SOP).
Monitoring and implementation of the guidelines will be done by the respective District Task Forces through the District Education Officer, as per the directive.
Nagaland govt amends vax mandate for 15-18 year olds
Dimapur, February 5 (MExN): Following the intervention of the Kohima Bench, Gauhati High Court on February 2, the Nagaland government has amended its January 8 order in connection to vaccination of children between the ages of 15 to 18.
In pursuance of the Court order, the amended office order now reads: “Any student of Class IX and above, and who has completed 15 years of age, shall be allowed to attend regular/offline classes, only if he/she has taken at least one dose of vaccine against COVID 19, and if not vaccinated, then should have been tested negative for COVID-19 through either RT-PCR/True Nat/CBNAAT once in every 15 days,” State Chief Secretary J Alam informed on Saturday.
