Hyderabad: Any school – including those run by private managements — that seeks an undertaking from parents indemnifying the school of any responsibility towards the health of a child will face strict action from the government, the Hyderabad district education officer (DEO) has said.
DEO R. Rohini told Deccan Chronicle on Monday: “It is learnt that many private schools are taking such undertaking letters from parents. If any school does that, inform the DEO’s office. Action will be taken on such schools.”
No school should seek any undertaking from parents regarding Covid-19 risk to the students, she said.
She issued memos to teachers at different government schools who were not present on duty whose absence she came to know about during her surprise inspections of schools on Monday.
Some teachers who were supposed to be present at the Government High School, Vengal Rao Nagar, as per the attendance register but were not, were issued memos by Rohini.
She also visited the Raj Bhavan School, and inspected all the preparations. She said, “The Governor is likely to visit this school on the first day of the reopening.” Rohini said the GHMC staff were working to clean all the government schools and their premises including the grounds, repairing toilets, cleaning drinking water tanks and the like.
In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, she answered questions on the reopening of schools from September 1.
Q. How are you monitoring, supervising what is happening at the schools?
A. We are having regular online review meetings with the principal secretary, and standing instructions have been issued to schools over preparedness.
Q. What are the documents should be carried for a parent, if he is seeking admission in the government school?
A. There are lot of new admission enquiries at the schools. Till Class 8, no transfer certificate is mandatory.
Q. Will students be having online classes as well the physical classes as an option?
A. No, as per the present government instructions, there will not be any online classes. From September 1, only physical classes will be held.
Q. What arrangements are you making to ensure social distancing in the classes or on the school premises?
A. The recess timings will differ from class to class. In a classroom, teachers will ensure some distance is maintained between student to student.
Q. Have your schools getting in connect with the parents, to give them information regarding opening of the schools for physical classes?
A. Each class will be having a WhatsApp group via which all the information is sent, most of the student are aware that the schools are opening from September 1.
Q. What should parents be doing?
A. I urge parents to send their children to schools for the physical classes, the schools are seeing to that all the precautionary measure are taken to keep the students in safe zones.
