Mask, hand sanitizer as Class 9-12 students return to schools in UP

Many schools in Uttar Pradesh reopened from Monday after the state government granted permission to open institutes outside containment zones as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines.

Following strict COVID-19 protocols, the schools reopened for Class 9 to 12 in parts of Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Lucknow, and Noida.

As per the protocols, children would not be allowed to attend the school without mask and hand sanitiser; their thermal scanning would be done at the gate and they require a consent letter from the parents before coming to school. Once inside, they shall be seated maintaining social distance in the classrooms.

"Students, whose parents gave written consent, were permitted entry today. We aren't allowing more than 20 students in a class," P S Ganesh, manager of a private school in Ghaziabad, told ANI.

In Noida, the Class 9 and 10 students of a school in Sector 12 were happy to return there after seven months. "We've been instructed to sanitise our hands, follow social distancing, and not to share stationaries with other students," Aman, a Class 10 student, said.

Meanwhile, a private school in Lucknow welcomed students with a "Back To School" poster". "We're are happy to have them back. Without students, the school was just reduced to four walls. We are following all COVID-19 protocols," Veera Hajela, Principal of City Montessori Schoo,l said.

He added if any child shows signs of fever or any other symptom, his/her family will be contacted and h/she will be sent back home immediately.