Illam Thedi Kalvi to continue till further orders as schools shut for Classes 1 to 8

As the schools were closed indefinitely for Classes 1 to 8, the Illam Thedi Kalvi (education at doorsteps) is expected to continue till further orders by following Standard Operating Procedures amid the spread of the third wave of coronavirus.

The scheme has been launched in several districts, including Chennai, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Madurai, Nagapattinam, The Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Villupuram—and later it will be extended to other districts. Accordingly, about 1.70 lakh volunteers across the state were appointed to take classes for children under the scheme.

A senior official from the School Education Department said according to the new guidelines, both parents and children should compulsorily wear facemasks. “Apart from parents and children, volunteers and teachers, who monitor the classes, will also follow all the COVID-19 protocols,” he added.

“Seating arrangements for the children should ensure proper social distancing,” he said adding “sanitizers and water facilities should be available so that students wash their hands regularly before attending the class.”

The official said that the district committee, which monitors the scheme on regular basis, should also ensure that all the volunteers, who take classes, should be vaccinated.

“In addition, the committee will also regularly check with the volunteers and inform the authorities about the health status of their family, whether any members have developed fever or cold,” he said.

The protocol further said that the local authorities, who located the place for taking classes for the scheme, should ensure proper ventilation. “The authorities have been instructed to give preference for holding classes in open spaces,” he added