Educational Institutions hould Now Be Reopened
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2021-09-11 16:21:19
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
As the future course of the pandemic is unpredictable, health and education experts have called for reopening of schools. Health experts have said that primary classes should be started first. Dr Suneela Garg, the president of The Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) said that some states are erroneously reopening schools for older children whereas evidence suggests that they are more susceptible to infection while younger children carry lower risk. Hence, she said, pre-school and primary classes should be started first and gradually, as vaccination picks up, all classes should be opened.
There is no doubt that learning has suffered immensely in the more than 17 months that educational institutions have remained shut in India. Two reports, one focused on Karnataka and another all-India lockdown report and have been made public which show how learning has suffered due to closure of schools and how the digital divide has made it extremely difficult for the underprivileged to keep abreast. Children have been found to have forgotten spellings and simple calculations. Older children have complained of irregular online classes, failed links and difficulty in understanding lessons. There have been repeated instances when teachers have played truant after starting a class while on the other hand, many students have also just joined classes but not actually attended them.
Apart from this, children are sorely missing their friends and other extra-curricular activities conducted in schools. Their outdoor activity has come to a complete halt in many cases due to closure of schools. They have suffered mentally by being cooped up inside the house for so long. Although some parents have taken extra care to make children comfortable during these trying times, most children have been witness to domestic quarrels and gossip. These will leave lasting scars on their minds. Children need to go back to school urgently, for learning as well as their mental well-being. It is upon the government to decide when the time is right for that. But any delay in taking a considered decision will not be wise.
