Hyderabad: Children confined to homes want to kill coronavirus

Hyderabad: "I will kill Corona", and "Covid snached away my childhoold", say Nagesh and Ramesh (names changed) of a prominent private school in Ameerpet in a message to their teachers.

Rakesh (name changed), of another private corporate school, rues, "father, mother, teachers and even government, all are lying to me".

The reason, all of them are giving conflicting statements on dates to go to school, to study and play as usual.

These are a few anecdotes about how children confined for more than one-and-half year are expressing their woes to their teachers.

Things have turned more serious in the case of another student of Class XI in another school.

He was found not serious in the academic activity that made teachers ask parents to bring him once to school. Revelations of the one-on-one conversation with the student have made the faculty sound an alert to the head of the school.

The student started conversing with strangers from across the world on social media platforms. He was under the strong impression that the pandemic is here to stay in India for another six years. And, India is going to be a hopeless place (to stay).

According to the faculty feedback, the student's disillusionment turned serious. He told that he attempted suicide on a few occasions. That apart, his interactions online and offline made him to worry about the state of religion and feel sad about it. Seeking solace from all these, what he considers serious issues, have made him talk emotionally with everyone.

Speaking to The Hans India, sharing his experience of the past two years, V Amarnath, chairman of the Slate-The School, said, "students confined to their homes without physically attending school and deprived of their school life are developing a sense of loss of hope." In turn, it is taking a toll on the children's minds. The way they are perceiving the world around them, with no hope of returning to normal times.

The hype created in various modes of media on a possible third-wave and the uncertainty to take a decision on the physical re-opening of schools is another serious issue that needs to be addressed. tHE t But, The bottom line is the parents, society, the government, media and others should address the issue to ensure that children are not at a loss of hope, he stressed.