After a gap of 10 months, Punjab’s government aided and private schools will reopen for the primary and pre-primary classes from February 1.

The schools will open for five hours a day from 10 am to 3 pm and parents will have to provide written consent before sending their wards to schools.

“The directions have been issued to the Education Department officials and school managements to strictly comply with the safety guidelines issued by the Government regarding COVID-19. The detailed safety guidelines have also been shared with the schools for strict compliance,” said the state Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla on Friday.

Singla said that schools have been asked to prepare special seating plan keeping physical distancing in mind apart from compliance of other safeguards including masks and hand wash on regular intervals.

He said that schools for higher classes from Class III to XII have reopened in phased manner and checking teams have regularly been visiting schools randomly for the observance of safety norms and guidelines.

Special safety teams are keeping a watch to ensure that safety norms and guidelines are being followed in letter and spirit.

Principals and teaching staff have also been asked to reach out to the parents through various means of communication including public address systems to make them aware of safety norms.

“As the students of pre-primary classes are smaller kids, the department officials and managements have been directed to remain more attentive to them than elder students to ensure their safety,” he said.

The Minister also advised the students that apart from going daily to schools, they should avoid visiting other places during free time.

“The schools would be functioning fully from morning 10 to 3 pm after the interval of almost 10 months but during the lockdown, the department officials, schools heads, and teachers had worked hard to reach out the students for their education through online mediums including mobile apps and TV,” he said.

Singla added that despite several odds, they succeeded in their mission which saved precious time for students and now final revision would be done in the classrooms.