Visakhapatnam: Physical mode classes worry parents

Visakhapatnam: Even after the extended Sankranti holidays, a section of parents express concern over sending their wards to schools.

With coronavirus cases showing a decline, some of the private school managements decided to resume physical-mode classes from Monday.

However, in the prevailing pandemic situation, not many parents look forward to sending their children to the schools yet.

Even when the other states closed the gates of the educational institutions due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, the government-run educational institutions continued to remain open in Andhra Pradesh.

However, parents heaved a sigh of relief as the schools declared Sankranti holidays till January 16.

Keeping the daily caseload in view, some of the school managements, however, extended the holidays. Meanwhile, CBSE and ICSE board schools recommenced online classes for the students.

Now, with the coronavirus cases dipping gradually, even the CBSE and ICSE board schools decided to resume regular classes.

With most schools now intending to reopen from Monday, parents express their concern over the possibility of risk the children might get exposed to. "As elders, we often feel suffocated to arm ourselves with masks for a long time. How can we expect children to wear a mask for hours in the school? Moreover, maintenance of physical distance in schools is another area of concern. As parents, we have no clue about how it is being monitored and ensured that children maintain social distance as long as they are in the campus," shares R Jyotsna, a mother of a Class VI boy.

During the third wave, a number of children have already been infected with Covid-19. "I think it is too early to resume regular classes at a time when the cases have just started to decline. It is safe to continue with virtual classes for a few more weeks and then take a call later depending on the situation," opines V Hemalatha, another parent.

Last week, 115 teachers and 41 students tested positive for Covid-19 in four days in over 40 mandals across Visakhapatnam district. As a precautionary measure, some of the parents intend to inoculate their wards before heading to the schools even though they do not fall under the eligible age group of 15-18 years.

Allaying concerns, District Educational Officer L Chandrakala mentions that sanitation maintenance in schools is given top priority and awareness about following Covid safety protocols is imparted to children during school hours.