Online learning has become mainstream.
- Challenges for schools post lock-down: –
- Ensuring Uninterrupted Learning for all Students
- Ensuring Student and Staff Safety
- Strategies and protocols–
- To adopt an ‘integrated online-offline’ strategy. It ensures high student achievement without any loss in learning coverage or syllabus.
- Revised school timings, attendance norms and time-table: Practising social distancing in school by alternate day school or double shift school in batches of students. Classroom seating arrangement done accordingly
- Academic year planning: despite reduction in syllabus, the aim should be completion of entire one-year syllabus with sufficient revisions and assessments, both online and offline.
- Management and monitoring of absenteeism: minimum attendance percentage to be kept low and students and staff must be encouraged to stay at home in case of even a mild illness.
- Cut down on number of games and physical activities
- Health and hygiene protocols:
- All classrooms (desks, toys, door knobs etc.), staff rooms and common areas to be sanitised every day. Toilets to be cleaned at least twice a day. Handwash and sanitizers made available to all students and staff. Anyone showing symptoms to be quarantined.
- Student and staff hygiene and safety: social distancing norms, compulsory use of arogya setu app, thermal screening for all staff, use of triple layered masks at all times.
- Food and water safety: carrying own food and water, staggered lunch breaks, no sharing of food/water, provision of filters, washing hands with soap before eating.
- School transport: thermal screening of drivers and attendants, sanitation of seats, effective social distancing.
- Medical support to be provided by a nurse or doctor. Action to be taken if someone is covid positive or had been exposed to someone who is covid positive.
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Empower your Staff
- Make detailed Learning, Operational and Safety plan
- Empower Parents
- Stay Connected and aware of the zone, govt regulations and teaching methods.
- Teachers should provide psychological support to students, train students and parents according to new protocols, keep up to date with academics, supervise and check sanitization, Quarantine notebooks collected for corrections for one day before touching.
- For parents:
- Stay calm, support and build awareness to their children
- Avoid sending children out to play, monitor what they do online, ensure that they eat healthy food that boosts immunity.
- Attend PTMs when invited, help kids navigate online learning when required.
- Strategies for New Admissions (IMPORTANT)
There are multiple options to reach out to parents:
- Social media: Testimonials of students, parents who are satisfied with learning at your school, especially of online learning provided during lockdown.
- Online: Invite prospective parents and students to take a test to check their current levels and promise them better learning at your school.
- Referral: Encourage parent referrals by launching a ‘Bring your Friend’ campaign where existing parents can recommend your school to their friends.
- Digital: Reach out to prospective parents via SMS, WhatsApp, Email.
- Website: Online admission link and interaction forums on your website.
- Control measures:
- Large spaces need to be used as classrooms to adhere to social distancing norms
- Staff teaching online must be asked to stay at home to reduce number of people
- Establishing a systematic process of partial opening, including social distancing
- Gaps in learning to be assessed and addressed in teachers’ planning meetings.
- Staggered entry and dispersal of students and staff
- Restrictions on forming groups while doing any activity whatsoever
- Restriction on unnecessary movement around the school
- Staff rooms to accommodate members only as many as possible with strict social distancing
- Virtual video tours of the school are available for parents and students for new admissions.
- Floor markings to be made clearly visible where it is necessary to manage any queuing.
Thank You !
Also published on Medium.