Teachers and college professors can return to work if they had had their first Covid vaccine dose, says Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian. The state is set to reopen its schools and colleges on September 1.
Around 90 % of teachers and 89 % of non teaching staff in Tamil Nadu’s schools and colleges have got their first dose of vaccination, the health minister said while launching a vaccination drive for teachers in the state. Vaccination priority is also being given to teachers and college professors and non teaching staff by district health officers.
Further, the government has instructed principals of all the 100 odd government, aided and private colleges to get their teachers and non teaching staff vaccinated, according to Ma Subramanian.
The Tamil Nadu health department issued detailed SOPs (Statement of Purpose) that schools must follow when they reopen on September 1. Classes must be regularly sanitised, not more than 20 students should be housed in a room and all meetings, assemblies, gatherings and Physical Education periods during school hours have been disallowed.
Schools must take shifts to teach students if they do not have sufficient infrastructure to house 20 students in a room. If they do have extra rooms, students can be spread out across these rooms.
Seats and tables must be arranged with a six feet gap between them. Physical distancing should also be maintained in staff rooms, offices and other places of contact. If there is peasant weather, teachers can take classes outdoors.
Soaps and sanitisers must also be placed at convenient points within the school. All school furniture, doors, windows, handrails, toilets etc should be cleaned and disinfected before the school is reopened.
Attendance should be changed from biometric to contactless model for students and teachers. In case of emergency, contacts numbers of local health workers and mobile ambulances should be made available to teachers and students.