The Tamil Nadu government has, on Thursday, announced that the government, government-aided, and private schools in the state would be re-opened for the classes 10,11, and 12 from October 1 and the students from these classes can go to schools on a voluntary basis, which won't be the grounds of regular teaching. 

According to the government, the students from these three grades would be permitted to visit the schools on a voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers. In what has become a semi-fledged resumption that has come nearly after seven months, the government said that schools will be permitted to call up to 50% of their teaching staff to interact with students, teach, and provide counseling. 

By announcing the partial re-opening, the government has stressed that the order won't be applicable for the schools that are in the containment zones, as these schools would remain closed. The government has mandated the school management, teachers, and students to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which was issued by the Central government. It also has said that the students from the rest of the classes would continue to study online. 

In its order, the government has clarified that the decision on whether to go to school or not is voluntary and parents and students can make the decision. While the Central government has permitted the resumption of schools for these classes from September 15, some of the states including Tamil Nadu had refrained from re-opening the classes owing to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As the Tamil Nadu government has now decided to open the school for classes 10 to 12 amid the spread, the following are the guidelines issued by the Central government that you should know, 

• Teachers, students, and other staff members at school are mandated to wear face covers or masks and they should observe physical distancing of at least six feet. Spitting inside the school premises is strictly prohibited. The students and teachers should keep monitoring their health and they must report to the nearest medical facility if they develop any illness. 
• They should wash their hands frequently with soaps and the usage of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is highly recommended. Teachers are advised to install and use the Aarogya Setu app whenever possible. Students and teachers should compulsorily follow the respiratory etiquettes like covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing. 
• Students of classes 9 to 12 are mandated to obtain written consent from the parents and guardians to visit their school on a voluntary basis. The interaction between the teachers and students must be organized in a staggered manner. 
• Only schools that are situated outside the containment zones would be permitted to re-open and students, teachers, and staff members living in the containment zones will not be allowed to enter the school. The school administrations are instructed to make alternative arrangements for the biometric attendance. 
• The symptomatic students and teachers must report to the medical facility and the schools are prohibited from conducting assemblies, sports, and events that group large-gathering. Prior to the resumption, the government has instructed the school administrations to properly sanitize and disinfect the premises.