Punjab’s meritorious schools reopening from Feb 9

LUDHIANA: The Punjab government will reopen all 10 meritorious schools in the state from February 9 for which Class 12 students have been asked to submit the Covid-19 negative certificate on arrival.

The 10 meritorious schools under the Society of Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students of Punjab are situated in Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Patiala, Hakumat Singh Wala village, Ferozepur district, Ghabdhan village, Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Talwara in Hoshiarpur.

According to the authorities, the Class 10 students of the meritorious school at Talwara will also be reporting back from February 9.

School principals have informed parents about the Covid-19 protocol. Besides the written consent of parents, the students have been asked to bring along a sanitiser, seven usable masks, six pieces of soap and liquid soap. Students will be quarantined for 24 hours after joining school.

The security guard at the school gate will screen all those entering the premises with the thermal scanner.

Mess workers have also been asked to bring along Covid-19 certificates.

Punjab meritorious schools assistant project director Inderpal Singh Malhotra said, “The board exams are in April and by attending physical classes, the students will be able to clear their doubts and prepare well. Those students who are unable to join can continue attending classes online.”

Col Amarjit Singh (retd), the principal of the Ludhiana school that has 486 students in Class 12, said: “There will be only 25 students in a class to ensure social distancing. In hostels, three students will stay in a room instead of the six earlier. No sharing of belongings will be allowed. The school and hostels have been sanitised.”