Unlock 4: Here Are the School and Other Educational Activities That Will Be Allowed

Unlock 4 is coming into place in India from 1 September 2020, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed several activities to begin outside containment zones. The new guidelines, issued have been formed based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments says the Government of India.

While schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to 30 September 2020, certain activities have been allowed outside the containment zone. The details of the educational activities that have been allowed in Unlock 4 are as follows:

• States and Union Territories may permit up to 50% of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching or tele-counseling and related work.
• Students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones on a voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers. However, this will require the written consent of parents and guardians.
• Skill or Entrepreneurship training will be permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or other Ministries of Government of India or State Governments.
• National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and their training providers will also be permitted.
• Higher education institutions only for research scholars (PhD) and postgraduate students of technical and professional programmes requiring laboratory or experimental works will be permitted by the Department of Higher Education (DHE) in consultation with MHA based on the COVID-19 situation in the area.