Maharashtra Schools Set for Staggered Reopening

With the COVID 19 situation hitting a plateau at 10,000 to 11,000 daily cases, it may be seen that the reopening of the economy is also on track. The constant flow of news reports suggest that Maharashtra is one of the states with the highest rate of infections. There have been a number of severe steps that the government has taken in this state, and especially in the regions of Mumbai, Thane and Pune, to ensure that reopening happens in a gradual manner. With many restrictions in place, offices have been allowed to open at a reduced capacity. Now, Maharashtra schools seem to be following suit.

While there has been much speculation on the reimposition of the lock down due the stubborn upswing of the infection rates, the Maharashtra government and CM Uddhav Thackeray have decided to stick to other restrictions and new SOPs instead. With this in place, a decision to reopen schools by the 15th of June has been reached. Maharashtra cities that are completely free of the virus with no reported cases in the past month will be allowed to open, while the Maharashtra schools that fall in areas like red zones and containment zones will have to make do with online and virtual classes. This would facilitate the reopening of Maharashtra schools in villages and small towns around the state where the rate of infection has seen a steep decline with almost zero cases.

So, what can you expect when the Maharashtra schools reopen and what would the new classrooms and school corridors look like? Here’s a quick checklist for students and teachers alike:

• Increased Sanitization: Not just Maharashtra schools, but schools all over the world would have to adhere to proper cleaning and sanitization so that there is very little chance of spreading the virus. This is especially crucial in schools since it would be difficult to stop small children from rubbing their hands on various surfaces and then touching their faces.
• Hand Wash Stations: The corridors of the Maharashtra schools would have to be equipped with hand wash and hand sanitization stations so that students and teachers can constantly clean their hands as they traverse the various corners of the school. These stations would have to manned by staff who can enforce the proper 20 second hand washing rule as well.
• Shifts: This is going to be a new system in Maharashtra schools, and one that would take a lot of getting used to. Once there is a physical reopening of schools, the school would be required to run in two shifts of three to four hours each. This would help in keeping the minimum number of people on the premises at one time so that social distancing can also be practiced properly. Further, the students will be called to school on alternate days so that they do not crowd the classrooms and are not exposed to the same set of people each and every day. This will also mitigate the possible spread of the virus.

These measures will make for a whole new style of schooling in Maharashtra and other schools all over the country, as well as the rest of the world. Let us now watch how our young ones and their teachers take to these changes. Follow this space for more!