Dr. Gyan Pathak
With the general opinion, both global and domestic, that schools should now be reopened as soon as possible, India is also gradually trying to open its schools. However, bringing students back safely to schools is in itself a challenging task that is felt both at government and school level. The schools that have already opened are facing an additional difficulty on account of learning loss of students due to closure of schools for about one and half years since the general lockdown of the country. Bridging the learning loss needs specially tailored plans for specific requirements of students.
Some of the states have already reopened schools for higher classes and some even for the primary classes, while majority of the states are still mulling to reopen their schools sometime this month or the next. Though the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has been almost under control for the last two months, the fear of the impending third wave to strike sometime towards end of August or in the beginning of September has inhibited may in the Government, the schools, and the parents from taking a decisive decision is supporting the move of opening the schools now. They are undecided. Let us take example of the NCT Delhi where the state has decided to constitute a committee of experts to evaluate the matter of schools reopening in the national capital. It has already been conveyed to Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
It shows the level of anxiety, as to how bring the students safely to schools. Before taking decisions, governments and schools need much more preparation than they have made till date, and reopening schools without required arrangement would prove disastrous. Therefore, it is imperative for the country to have a high powered committee at the centre, to assist states in safe-reopening of schools, and the states in turn needs similar committees to coordinate with the district committees, the district to block level, and the block level to school level committees.
After the implementation of Panchayati Raj System, the school level existing committees can do their work or fresh committees can be constituted. At the school level, we have committees that include teachers and parents, which can share the burden of making the schools safe. There should be perfect coordination from the school level to the Centre, so that required information about safety measures travels smoothly from the top to bottom and vice versa.
What the Parliamentary Standing Committee has said in its report submitted last week in the Parliament of India is noteworthy in this regard. The suggestions of the panel are wide ranging and their implementation will not be possible without high-powered expert committees at every level, preferably with financial powers to assist safe reopening. The panel has rightly said that the consequences of keeping schools closed for physical classes are too serious to ignore, because it has not only impacted the learning of the students but also the social fabric of families in a negative way. Involvement of students in household chores has increased.
Safety measures are primary concern. Parents and guardians of students are divided in their opinion – those who could take the benefit of online classes are still of the view that schools should wait to reopen while those disadvantaged who could not afford the online classes for various reasons ranging from non-availability of computer systems or mobiles in their home to connectivity issues and digital illiteracy are will the schools to be reopened but will all safety protocol in place.
The recommendation of the parliamentary panel should give an idea about the challenge of providing safety, not only to students and teachers, but also their guardians and parents, because the students may carry infection from their home to schools and vice versa. The parliamentary standing committee has recommended “accentuating vaccine programmes for all students, teachers, and allied staff so that schools may start functioning normally at the earliest; holding classes on alternated days or in two shifts to thin out students along with observance of physical distancing and compulsory wearing of face masks at all times, frequent hand sanitization etc; regular thermal screening at the time of attendance and conducting random RT-PCR tests to identify and isolate any infected student, teacher or staff immediately. … Each school should have at least two oxygen concentrators with trained personnel to address any eventuality and provide first aid till the availability of outside medical help. … Frequent surprise inspections of schools may be done by health inspectors and health workers to ensure strict adherence to hygiene and COVID-19 protocols.”
It is easier said than done, because the implementations of these or other recommendations need not only overhauling of the school administration but also considerable investment. Our education system is already reeling under unavailability of funds, which the pandemic has further exacerbated. Even our schools are overcrowded. There is shortfall of teachers even to teach. It is to be seen how they could manage with these new responsibilities along with other non-teaching responsibilities that governments entrust to them. The situation requires much more than mere decision to open schools.
Moreover, when the schools will reopen, the teachers will have to face the aberrations that have already impacted the students behaviour and their mental health. “The closure of schools … had had deep impact on the wellbeing of students, especially their mental health. … The confinement of young children with the four walls of the house, being unable to attend schools, has altered the relationship between the parent and the children adversely,” the panel observed.
“The present situation has exacerbated the learning crisis that existed even before the pandemic with the marginal and vulnerable children adversely affected,” the parliamentary panel has said. It has rightly been pointed out because the learning gap between the rich and the poor has widened. We need to review online and offline instructions and examination systems and find out exactly what we need to do.
The seriousness of the matter should not be overlooked and a well-balanced reasoned view may be taken for opening of the schools, the panel has rightly said, that the Centre, the State Governments, schools, and parents must heed to. (IPA)
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