Despite a dip in daily COVID cases, Kerala continues to add the most number of cases in the country. Amid this, the state is all set to reopen its schools in less than a month. However, the new set of SOPs released by the state government say that students are not mandated to attend in-person classes, but should do so only if the parents consent to send them to school.

How will the new academic year look like for the students in the state? We took a look at the rules. As expected, not all students will be permitted to attend classes together and will be instead divided into batches. Till Class VII, only two students will be permitted to sit in a class. While each batch will attend schools for three days continuously, Saturdays will also be working days.

Disabled students will be exempted from attending schools in the first phase of reopening. At the same time, special schools, exclusively for hearing or visually impaired students can function.

All teachers have been asked to get fully vaccinated before the reopening of schools. Drivers of school buses and other staff have also been asked to do so. The health officials too have been urged to strictly monitor the situations in schools.

While the government was initially in a dilemma about restarting mid day meals, it recently decided to provide meals from Day 1, adhering to social distancing protocols