To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all who interact at TSA during these challenging times, it is vital to follow all the required protocols laid down by the Government. Hence, the following precautions are keenly flowered by us.

Draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Health, Hygiene and Safety Protocols for reopening of Schools

Introduction:

The Government has issued the following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with regard to COVID-19 based on the Standard Operating Procedure issued by Government of India for Health and Safety protocols to be followed for reopening of schools, subject to the condition that schools outside the containment zones shall only be allowed to open and students/teachers/employees residing in containment zones shall not be allowed to visit schools. 

General:

1. Online/distance learning will continue to be an alternate mode of teaching.
2. Students may attend schools/institutions only with the written consent of parents.
3. Follow-up on the progress of the learning outcomes of all such students shall be planned appropriately.
4. All students and teachers/staff shall wear face masks compulsorily inside and outside the school premises.

 

1. Health, Hygiene and Safety protocols before opening of schools.

Precautionary measures and sanitization:

1. Prior to reopening of schools, the school premises along with furniture etc. were cleaned and disinfected.
2. Provision of hand wash facilities with soap and running water which is the most preferred mode of disinfection for hands is made adequately.
3. Suitable hand wash with soap /sanitization provisions with alcohol based sanitizers shall be made at the entry and exit points of the schools or wherever required.
4. Availability of key supplies like thermal scanners, disinfectants, soaps, pulse oxymeters etc., and other essentials are ensured.
5. The toilets are cleaned properly and maintained with tidiness. Wash areas, toilets, etc., where people are likely to come are disinfected properly and kept clean.

B Social Distancing norms

1. On all working days, proper social distancing norms are followed to avoid crowding in the entrance and inside the school premises.
2. The students are not allowed to linger outside in the schools. 
3. Physical/social distancing norms are followed, both, during arrival and departure time, to and from school. 
4. Assemblies, Sports and events and cultural activities that can lead to overcrowding are avoided. 
5. Staggering the timing for X & XII, IX & XI classes is followed.
6. Physical distancing is maintained in classrooms, staff rooms, office areas and in other places.

C Sensitization of students, parents, teachers, community members and hostel staff on COVID -19 related challenges and their role

1. Prior to reopening of schools, students/parents have submitted an undertaking and declaration forms.
2. Students are sensitized about personal hygiene, personal health, and cleanliness.
3. Parents shall not send their wards to school if the child or any family member living in the same household suffers from fever/cough/breathlessness etc.  
4. Parents shall not send the children having COVID related symptoms to schools, but take appropriate test and treatment without any delay and follow usual precautions.

III. Health, Hygiene and Safety protocols after opening of schools.

 A Health Profiling and screening of students/staff

 The first step on reopening of the schools were health profiling and screening of students/staff. Information from students, teachers and other staff (Health Profiling) shall be collected in the form of a self-declaration regarding their health condition, etc. 

Students having co-morbidity conditions may be advised not to attend school and to attend classes through alternate/online mode.

School shall designate a teacher to oversee the implementation of COVID related precautions by school, teachers and staff. He / She shall counsel the students in case of any difficulty arising due to COVID situation.

 B Precautionary measures and Sanitization on daily basis

1.  The school premises along with furniture, hand rails, doors, windows etc especially the commonly touched surfaces like door knobs, latches etc shall be disinfected properly. This exercise is done daily after the students leave the school in the evening. 
2. Students are not involved in any of the cleaning activities for health and safety reasons.
3. All teaching learning material such as teaching aid, sports materials, etc. focusing particularly on frequently touched surfaces/objects are disinfected properly.
4. All garbage is disposed in dustbins and is not allowed to pile up anywhere else in the school premises.
5. All dustbins are cleaned and covered properly. Protocols are in place for the final safe disposal of waste.

6. Mandatory hand washing for all students and staff at regular intervals as per the planned protocol following physical/social distancing norms shall be ensured.

7. Availability of safe and clean drinking water for students is ensured. Bringing of water bottles by students is encouraged.

8. Suitable hand wash with soap /sanitization provisions with alcohol based sanitizers are made available at the entry points of the school and wherever required. This is monitored by the designated staff.

9. Air-conditioning is avoided to the extent possible. 

10. No outside vendor is allowed to sell eatables inside the school premises or at the entry gate/point or exit.

 

1. Social behaviour for pandemic prevention

 

1. The Principal/teachers ensure that a clean face mask is used by all teachers/students/ personnel.
2. Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all areas of the school premises by everyone. Touching the mask is kept to minimum.
3. Children are educated not to exchange masks with others.
4. Touching the face or any part of the face is avoided.
5. Touching any surfaces of furniture/fixtures/railings/lifts/handles and other surfaces is kept to the minimum.
6. Spitting is strictly prohibited except in wash areas where the same should be washed away in running water immediately.
7. Respiratory etiquettes are strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/ sneezing with a tissue paper/ handkerchief/ flexed elbow and disposing off used tissue papers properly.
8. Teachers monitor that all the above are followed by the students.
9. Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest is done.
10. Any student/teacher/staff displaying symptoms is immediately isolated and sent for testing. If tested positive, they are isolated for treatment. In such cases, persons who were in close contact are advised to be on home quarantine for self monitoring the health.

 

D Thermal screening in schools

1. Thermal screening of all students/staff/teachers is done when they arrive at the school. This shall be monitored by the designated staff.
2. The Principal/ Staff shall check whether the Thermal Scanners are functional, every day.
3. Thermal screening is done before the person enters the school. 
4. To prevent transmission of disease, contact of the thermal scanner with a person’s skin is avoided.
5. The   thermal   scanner   is   checked   for proper  functioning.
6. The average normal body temperature is generally accepted as 98.6°F (37°C). Some studies have shown that the “normal” body temperature can have a wide range, from 97°F (36.1°C) to 99°F (37.2°C). The persons who show temperature above 37.2°C are restricted from entering the school premises and shall be referred to a nearby Health centre/Government Hospital.
7. A Pulse Oxymeter is also made available in the school to screen the Oxygen(O2) level of the students/staff with symptoms.

 

E Safety norms in classrooms and other places

1. A proper crowd management inside and oustside the school premises is ensured.
2. Teachers ensure that students sit at marked/allocated seats maintaining physical/social distancing and wearing face covers /masks in the classes, laboratories, libraries, playground or any other part of school premise.
3. Practical work is  done in small groups maintaining physical distance.
4. Sharing of any material (Textbooks, Notebooks, Pen, Pencil, Eraser, Tiffin Box, Water Bottles, etc.) by students with each other is discouraged.
5. Different break times is provided for different classes.
6. Sharing of food among students is not allowed.bring and eat home cooked food.
7. Windows and doors of the classrooms and other rooms to be kept open for ventilation.
8. Number of people in the passages is restricted. Use of stairs with one person on alternate steps may be encouraged.
9. Specific focus to avoid over-crowding in washrooms should be encouraged.
10. Students shall be encouraged to wash their hands before and after lunch/snacks, each time they use the washroom and any other outdoor activities. Hand sanitizers with 70% alcohol can be an alternative.

 

Conduct of training in High Tech labs/other laboratories

1. For practical activities in laboratories, maximum capacity per session based on redesigned spaces shall be planned and scheduled accordingly duly following physical distancing norms.
2. The equipments shall be disinfected properly, particularly the frequently touched surfaces before and after each use.
3. It shall be ensured that a floor area of 4 m2 per person is available for working on equipment/work station.
4. All staff/students shall sanitize their hands before and after using training equipment. For such purpose hand sanitizers should be provided at workstations/Hi tech labs etc.

 

SOP to be followed in case a student/teacher/employee develops symptoms(fever, cough difficulty in breathing)

1. All headmasters/teachers shall keep the emergency health contact number ready for any emergency help.
2. Place the ill person in a room or area where they are isolated from others. Inform parents/guardians as the case may be. Immediately inform the nearest medical facility(hospital/clinic) and arrange for COVID test immediately.
3. Patient shall remain isolated while wearing a mask/face cover till such time they are examined by a doctor/health worker.
4. A risk assessment shall be undertaken by the designated public health authority and accordingly further action be initiated regarding management of case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection.
5. Disinfection of the premises to be taken up if the person is found positive.
6. For a suspect or a case detected in school/hostel, the student/staff shall not be sent back to his/her home as it may lead to spread of the disease. He / She should be isolated and State/district health officials shall be informed for suitable follow- up.
7. Persons who were in close contact with the positively tested student or person shall remain in home quarantine for self monitoring.

H Other instructions

1. All employees/teachers/students in the school premises must compulsorily wear their Identity card at all times.
2. Employees/ teachers/students should be strictly instructed not to create any gathering inside the school premises.
3. All employees who are at higher risk i.e., older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any work requiring direct contact with the students.
4. All employees/ students shall be made aware of COVID prevention practices.
5. The Head Master/Principal shall be held responsible for adherence of guidelines in school and should carry out compliance checks frequently.
6. Availability of sufficient covered dustbins and trash cans and provision for proper disposal of used personal protective items and general waste in accordance with Government guidelines should be ensured. Housekeeping employees shall be informed & trained about norms for waste management & disposal.
7. Entry of unnecessary visitors shall be strictly prohibited.
8. If transportation facility is being managed by the school, proper physical distancing, sanitization of buses/other transport vehicles(with 1% sodium hypochlorite) shall be ensured as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Private school buses and vans issued in G.O.Ms.No.279, Revenue and Disaster

Management (DM II) Department dated 06.06.2020.

1. It shall be ensured that regular counseling is done for students and teachers reporting mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
2. Teachers, school counselors and school health workers should work in unison to ensure emotional safety of the students.
3. Task Teams such as, Emergency Care Support/Response Team, General Support Team for all stakeholders, Commodity Support Team, Hygiene Inspection Team, etc. with earmarked responsibilities may be formed in schools.
4. Teachers, students and other stakeholders deemed fit for being the members of these task forces may be identified to work collaboratively to take strategic and immediate actions.
5. take care of physical and mental health of the students.
6. Regular health check-up of students and teachers may be organized by schools.
7. Health Department to arrange for Medical Teams to conduct Health Camps in schools initially for health screening of students/staff before opening and regular check up after opening.
8. Health Department to keep mobile medical teams ready at block levels for quick response to the need in the schools
9. Contact numbers of the mobile medical teams shall be kept readily available in the schools
10. Health Department shall bring awareness among school students/staff on various preventive measures to be taken with regard to COVID 19 pandemic by issuing pamphlets, etc
11. Students shall be encouraged to come to schools by bicycles or parents shall be encouraged to drop/pick up them from schools.