Parents in a catch-22 situation

Secunderabad: Parents of a few corporate schools on Wednesday found themselves in a catch-22 situation, following the schools switching over from offline to the online mode of teaching citing COVID positive cases.

Gitanjali Devshala, Balamrai, reported that an active technical staff was tested Covid positive on Wednesday. Another elite school in Gachibowli in the financial district of Cyberabad, too has reportedly switched over to an online mode of teaching after a COVID positive case was reported in the school campus, claimed a parent, whose ward studies in the same school.

However, School Education Department officials say that neither of the schools has reported the same to the education authorities of their respective districts.

In the first case, the school's management acknowledged the parents of students of the school that despite the utmost care taken on the campus, a case has been reported. The schools assured parents that contact tracing was being done and the campus was sanitised immediately.

As a precautionary measure for the students and staff, the school instructed to switch to online classes of class IX and X and the same will be followed for online examinations for class VIII and IX.

Reacting to that, Shekhar (name changed), whose daughter studies in class X in Geetanjali Devashala said that schools have been callous in their arrangements with regards to the management of COVID-19 protocol after the resumption of physical classrooms.

"We are worried not only about students, who are physically attending the classes, but also for teachers, non-teaching staff and senior citizens are at greater risk. Students will be by and large asymptotic. We earlier managed online classes for 11 months, we can do it for a few more months."

Initially, the parents alleged that schools forced parents and students to opt for offline exams of class VIII. However, as per State Government guidelines, exams should be conducted for only class 9 and above.

Another parent, whose daughter studies in class IX, gave consent to her daughter to attend offline exams has instilled apprehension after an active case was reported in the school. "I urge the government to look into the matter.

These are only two schools which have reported, there are multiple schools across the city and how do we know that there are no cases reported. I will not opt for an offline exam."

Parents claim that schools have washed their hands completely by taking an undertaking letter from parents.