Classes 9 to 12 of state board schools will be held daily from Monday to Saturday in a week and students will have to report half an hour before the commencement of classes from 16 November onwards.

According to a notification issued by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, students of Classes 9 and 11 will report at 9.30 am and classes will be held from 10 am to 3.30 pm while students of classes 10 and 12 will reach school at 10.30 am and classes will be held from 11 am to 4.30 pm.

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The board has asked schools to divide the classes in two or more separate rooms depending upon available resources while abiding by the Covid protocols. Both theoretical and practical classes will be held from 16 November. According to the Standard Operating Procedure prepared by the state government for schools, awareness should be created among students about the new norms with regards to arrival of students, seating arrangement, social distancing, and hand and respiratory hygiene practices.

Classrooms have to be properly numbered with revised seating arrangements so students can maintain distance from each other. Gatherings will not be allowed at entry and exit and no guardian or other visitor to be allowed on the campus.

Sharing tiffin and drinking water is strictly disallowed. All students must wear masks. Masks should be of appropriate size and preferably each student should keep at least three masks. Teachers, non-teaching staff, staff of outside agencies must wear masks.

Group activities like sports and cultural events may be discontinued for the time being. For students staying in hostels, a temporary partition to be erected for separate students and adequate distance between beds should be maintained. Every student has to be screened before their stay at the hostel and only asymptomatic students are allowed to stay at hostels.

As per the 15-page guideline issued for universities and colleges, students would be allowed inside the campus only after the thermal screening, sanitisation of hands and wearing of masks. All extra-curricular activities and programmes should be avoided.

Likewise schools, no gathering would be allowed during entry and exit. Those having symptoms of fever, cough or breathing difficulties should not be allowed to enter. Adequate arrangements should be made for sanitising the entire campus and proper cleanliness should be maintained at all places.

There should be no crowding in hostel areas and density in dining halls and common rooms should be limited keeping in mind social distancing norms. All institutions should regularly monitor the health of students, faculty and staff. The stakeholders have to submit self-disclosure of Covid infection in the family