The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has paved the way to resume regular teaching-learning activities at schools in those local levels which do not have significant number of COVID-19 cases and at places where such cases are on the decline.

The Ministry has published the ‘School Operation Framework 2077’ on its website after the framework was approved by the Council of Ministers on November 7.

The framework works as a guideline for the local levels to gradually resume schools after assessing the risks, however it does not specify the number or range that can be considered as “low risk”.

All schools are required to mandatorily coordinate with the district crisis management center resuming teaching-learning activities. Earlier, some local levels had decided to open schools but the local administrations had stopped them.

According to the spokesperson of the ministry, Deepak Sharma, health related standards set by the central government, the Ministry of Health and other bodies must be followed by school staff as well as the students.

The framework states all schools can run classes in shifts depending on grade (class), shortening periods, alternating teachers for same subject, and conducting classes only on certain days of the week and for certain hours.

Apart from this, local levels will be allowed to decide other conducive modalities for conducting class.