Several local units in Sindhuli district have decided to run physical classes in the community schools that have remained closed for the past seven months amid fear of Covid-19 pandemic.

Kamalamai Municipality has decided to operate physical classes in all the educational institutions across the local body from Sunday (November 22). Similarly, Marin and Harihrpurgadhi rural municipalities will be resuming classes from Monday. Preparations are underway to resume physical classes in six other local bodies of Sindhuli, according to the concerned authorities.

“The recent meeting of the municipal education committee had decided to resume physical classes in all the education institutions by following safe health protocols set by the government. All the community schools, institutional schools and colleges will resume classes from Sunday,” said Shankar Raj Luitel, the coordinator of the education committee of Kamalamai Municipality.

According to Luitel, the decision regarding the resumption of classes was taken after holding discussions with teachers, students, guardians, school management committee and other stakeholders. He said the decision was taken as per the School Resumption Working Guideline issued by the federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology two weeks ago.

The Cabinet has endorsed the guideline that allows the resumption of schools provided that they coordinate with representatives of the respective local governments, teachers’ unions and representatives from the school management committees.

Following the government’s decision, the local units in Sindhuli held meetings with the concerned authorities and stakeholders for the resumption of educational institutions that have remained closed since the government enforced the nationwide lockdown since March 24.

“Some local units in the district have already taken decisions to resume classes. We will shortly decide into the matter as well. There is no alternative but to resume classes now by maintaining safe health protocols,” said Pushpa Bahadur Karki, the chairman of Golanjor Rural Municipality in the district.

The local units are equally concerned about following health protocols to control the spread of Covid-19. Kamalamai Municipality is preparing to run classes in different clusters. The municipality has instructed all schools to submit their school resumption modality to the municipal education committee within a week.

“We have urged the school administration to run classes in different shifts by maintaining physical distance and following safe health measures,” said Luitel.

In Hariharpurgadhi, the rural municipal office has directed all schools to arrange for hand wash facilities and sanitisers and make face masks mandatory.

“The rural municipality will bear the expenses of managing face masks, sanitisers and soaps for all students and staff,” said Karsang Lama, the chairman of the local unit.

There are a total of 563 community schools in Sindhuli with around 80,000 students enrolled, according to the Education Development and Coordination Unit in the district. The district has 68 private schools and a dozen colleges.

Meanwhile, the students who have been confined at home for months due to the virus threat are excited to attend school again.

“It’s boring to stay at home for a long time. We can study and meet with friends when the school reopens,” said Sabin Aachchhami, a ninth-grader at a local school in Dhungrebas. He said he could not take alternative classes conducted by the school, as there was no internet service at his house.

The guardians also say that they are happy with the decision of school resumption. But some of them are worried about a possible outbreak of the virus in the school.

“My son is safe now, as he stays at home. I am fearful that he might contract the disease in the school,” said Sabin’s father Prem Aachchhami.

The health officials warn of possible spread of the coronavirus if the educational institutions do not follow safe health measures.

“The educational institutions should be careful while running physical classes,” said Dr Laxman Khadka, medical superintendent at Sindhuli Hospital. He suggested that the school administration not run classes in mass.

Sindhuli has reported a total of 211 coronavirus cases so far with three deaths. According to Sindhuli Hospital, the district has eight active cases at present.