It is better for kids to stay at home, learn online

Should or should not the schools be re-opened in India? This debate has been on for some time. It is rather unfortunate that the Centre had failed to play the role of big brother on this issue.

The attitude of the Centre towards the plight of the students has been indifferent. The Centre and state governments seem to be ignoring their duty towards lakhs of children.

The Centre should have called for a series of meetings to assess the situation in each state, should have sent teams to study the preparedness of the schools in implementing the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP)s before permitting them to reopen the schools. Instead, the central government left it to the states to decide.

Yes, the country needs to get into unlock mode but this does not mean that it can wink at Covid-19. The threat still looms large. The reason being that in India, we believe that the rules and protocols are meant to be followed only more in breach. We wear helmet only when we see a policeman. We stop at stop signal only if a policeman is there.

There is a saying in Sanskrit, "Yatha Raja Tatha Praja." When the rulers don't follow protocols and guidelines issued by Centre, how can they implement them at ground level? For example, in Andhra Pradesh we have seen ministers and MLAs not following any protocols. Though they are not supposed to hold big meetings, large number of leaders are seen on dais at every function. No social distancing is maintained and none of them wear masks.

The situation is no different even in the hall where the cabinet meeting is held. If some one puts on a mask, it is more for ornamental purpose and the nose and mouth is not covered. This being the attitude of the law makers, how can one exV RAMU SARMA

The government is not willing to hold local body elections in view of the pandemic but has decided to open the schools. Certainly, it appears to be a decision in a hurry particularly when experts are cautioning the authorities and people of second and third wave of Covid-19.

No one knows when this pandemic would end. Vaccine is yet to come and made available to the people. This means that at least for another one year, one must be extremely careful and continue to have live-in relationship with Corona virus.

The schools particularly the government schools do not have necessary resources to strictly enforce the health protocols. The state governments do not seem to be in a mood to take up the responsibility of funding these schools to ensure that SoPs are strictly implemented. They only argue that globally many countries had re-opened the schools, but never did they compare the conditions there and here.

The State governments are not even able to ensure that the GOs it issued asking schools to collect only tuition fees. In Telangana for example, the government has issued a GO asking schools not to collect full fees. But private schools continue to fleece the parents asking them to pay term fees and that too in full though no physical classes are being held.

Even after collecting full fees, they have not been paying even 50 percent salaries to most of the teachers. Good number of them have lost their jobs in the name of downsizing and the government has been a silent spectator for various reasons.

The government had issued GO asking house owners to give moratorium to the tenants, but there are very few instances where the tenants got any relief.

No state government seems to have done a realistic analysis of the situation in other countries where schools were re-opened.

A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Hospital has found that children may play a larger role in the community spread of coronavirus than previously thought, triggering concerns of the drastic increase in the cases if the schools reopen.

Some argue that despite having highest number of Corona cases, the American states have opened schools. But they do not seem to think or look beyond this. They should understand that these schools have enforced strict measures. Desks in these schools are kept six feet apart, schools are sanitised regularly and routine temperature checks are done every day. Despite all this an increase of cases has been reported among children.

In Germany, schools have provided better ventilation in classrooms and strict protocols are maintained. This has helped in no serious outbreaks. Denmark is another country where schools were re-opened and children continue to be safe because strict social distancing is maintained. The students are split in micro group, each group comes at different time slot, they eat lunch separately and students are made to wash their hands every two hours. Even the class rooms are cleaned twice a day.

Such measures here is a luxury. It is something which we cannot expect. Because we do not adopt a holistic approach. Our calculations are based mostly on political considerations and whims and fancies of the ruling party. The rulers never feel the need to consult anyone as they are allergic to opposition and in fact no ruling party in the country would like to have a strong opposition.

South Korea is well known for its emphasis on education. There children have 12 hour school days. Not willing to lose an academic year, the government there reopened the schools but in the absence of strict implementation of SoPs there was a surge in the number of cases, and it had to shut down the schools once again.

Similarly, reports say that in Israel too large number of students and teachers were reported to have been infected with Corona after the schools were re-opened. A similar situation is now being witnessed in Andhra Pradesh as well.

A scientific study should be made by any state government to conclude that the virus was under control. But nothing of the sort is happening in India.

Studies have proved that kids who are of the age of 10 years and up may transmit the virus as easily as adults. States where schools have been re-opened were for this category of students. Schools in India do not have enough space to place desks several feet apart. Most schools say that they can at the most provide water to wash hands and that they do not have enough resources to sanitise the school every day. True, most of the schools do not even have clean toilets. Expecting them to sanitise the school premises is too big an expectation.

This being the situation, minimising negative impact during the unlock and pre-vaccine phase requires unwavering adherence to safety protocols, and additional vigilance on the part of State health authorities who must monitor the situation in educational institutions. If the state governments cannot ensure this, it would not be proper to re-open the schools.

Continuing with online learning as of now is the best choice. The Centre and states can think of reopening the schools only after the vaccine comes and is made available to all. The governments should focus attention on systematic distribution of vaccine so that the life can spring back to normalcy.