GUWAHATI/SILCHAR: Schools and colleges are ready to welcome students today with new hope and elaborate sitting arrangements in multiple classrooms to check the Covid-19 infection. The number of vaccinated students, teachers, and non-teaching staff is yet to be ascertained, but the state health department has clarified that except for those below 18 years, none will be allowed to enter the campuses without being inoculated with at least the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Educational institutions have prepared sitting arrangements to ensure that a physical distance of at least 6 feet is maintained in each classroom and outside, as directed by the education department in a supplementary SOP last week. “We are concerned about the health of students. Not more than 30 students are allowed to sit in a classroom. Proper sanitization has been done in most of the institutions,” said education minister Ranoj Pegu on Sunday.

While compulsory use of masks and sanitizer has to be ensured on campuses, temperature checks of all students and teachers have been instructed by the education department every day through thermal screening during entry. Handwashing facilities must be arranged in prominent locations on campuses. Most importantly, students have been barred from sharing any items like textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, tiffin box or water bottles.

For private educational institutions, buses have been allowed to carry only one-third of the intake capacity of students. “It has been instructed that school buses should be sanitized twice daily,” an education department official said.

Whenever any positive case is detected, the nearest government healthcare institution or circle officer of the concerned revenue circle will have to be contacted by the educational institutions, read the SOP.

Although the Assam government is set to reopen schools and colleges for higher secondary to post-graduation level students, Assam University, Silchar, a Central varsity, is yet to decide on resumption of off-line classes.

“We have been contemplating about reopening the university for research scholars sometimes within a week. The scholars will also be allowed to stay in the university hostels. However, they should be fully immunised,” Assam University registrar Pradosh Kiran Nath informed TOI. After this, the science-lab-based classes will begin. AU will open classes in a phased manner. Nath informed that the authorities are not ready to usher in any trouble by hurriedly beginning off-line classes. “We will make sure that all the students get the two jabs first. After that the institution will be open for post-graduation students,” he said.

In Gauhati University too, the final year students have not yet been called to attend classes. While sanitisation of the campus is still on, the ongoing final semester exams through the online mode is also a reason behind the delay, said an official of the university.