Summary
Students of Classes X and XII to attend on-campus classes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Students of Classes IX and XI to visit school for physical lessons every Tuesday and Thursday
Secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal have been asked to hold offline classes for Classes X and XII and Classes IX and XI on alternate days.
Students of Classes IX to XII returned to schools on November 16 after a nearly 20-month-long pandemic break. All schools have been asked to ensure that strict COVID-safety protocol is in place on campuses.
According to a circular issued by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on November 21, students of Classes X and XII may attend on-campus classes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Students of Classes IX and XI may visit the school for physical lessons every Tuesday and Thursday, the circular added. The rules will be applicable in schools affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) and the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE).
School hours for Classes IX to XII will be from 10.50am to 4.30pm in all districts except the hill subdivisions. In the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, offline classes will be held from 9.30am to 3pm.
No academic classes will be held on Saturdays. Schools have been asked to organise feedback sessions, awareness generation and orientation programmes for guardians every Saturday. The board has requested the ``commissioner of school education, West Bengal, to ensure that senior education officials are present at the feedback sessions.
The arrangements shall continue till further notice, the circular signed by Kalyanmoy Ganguly, president of WBBSE, stated.
West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu has said that state government was keen on reopening schools for all classes in phases. “We will review the COVID-19 situation after some days and gradually all classes right from the junior level will be reopened,” Basu had said on the sidelines of a programme at College Square on November 14.
Attendance in schools, however, remains voluntary. Students have the choice of continuing with online classes or even follow hybrid mode of learning. The school education department has allowed parents/guardians to decide whether to send their children to school.
Last updated on 21 Nov 2021
