Educational Institutions across Assam to reopen on November 2; Check details here

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Assam to reopen from November 2, the state Education Minister announced.

Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has announced that the schools and other educational institutions in the state will reopen from November 2, with strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols released earlier by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Unlock 5 guidelines have allowed the schools to reopen across the country after October 15 in a graded manner. 

Educational institutions will open for students from Class 6 to postgraduate level with several restrictions in place, he said. He further added that the schools will not operate for students up to Class 5.  Private schools and coaching centres can reopen from November 2 and must follow the COVID regulations. Each of them will have to remain in contact with the health department and periodic testing will be conducted in these institutes, Sarma said.

The government has no objection if the private schools want to continue with online classes, the minister said.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions across the state have been kept closed since mid-March owing to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The Minister further said that the decision to join the school will be a voluntary exercise on the part of the students. Their guardians will take the decision on sending them to school or not, and the necessary attendance required will not be applicable this year, he said.

Sarma said the Assam government will not issue any directive regarding the restarting of classes at the postgraduate level. The university executive council concerned will decide on it and the rules to be followed.

The education minister said all government polytechnics and engineering institutions will have “normal face-to-face classes from November 2 but hostels will not reopen”.

Those who are unable to attend classes due to lack of hostel facilities can continue with online classes and as such there will be a blend of classroom and online teaching, he said.

Undergraduate classes will also begin from November 2 with each section having not more than 25 students. If the classes are held in halls, the number of students can be proportionately increased.

He further said that the classes for the first semester students will be conducted twice a week on Monday and Thursday, for the third on  Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, for the fifth on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Classes will be held in two batches in the morning and afternoon.

Results are yet to be announced for the second and final semesters. As hostels will remain closed, undergraduate students will be allowed to enroll temporarily for a month in a college in their respective home towns and attend classes. The decision regarding the reopening of hostels will be taken on December 1, he said.

Sarma said the examinations will be conducted only for Class 8 students by the schools while board examinations will be held for those in classes 10 and 12. Students of other classes will be promoted to the next higher class without any examination.

The syllabus will be reduced by the State Council of Education, Research and Training and this will be notified within 15 days, the minister said.

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