Tag: Covid And Schoolchildren

‘To Avoid Shutdown, Schools Are Hiding Covid Figures’

By LokMarg

Nirmala Joshi, 36, a mother of two in Meerut, says she is skeptical about sending her children to schools as Covid-19 cases see an uptick again

I have two school-going children, one aged 14 and the other nine. It was a big relief for parents when Covid cases subsided and the government allowed the schools to reopen. But as soon as the other restrictions were also lifted, we are seeing a minor surge in infections again even though as of now, the Covid situation appears to be under control.

I myself drop my children to school and observe if the school teachers and other staff are following the Covid protocols, as were assured and instructed by the school authorities. I am relieved that many of these guidelines are being duly followed.

However, social distancing has gone for a toss. And how can it not be when the strength of the school is around 4,000-plus, with 40 students sitting in one classroom. On an average, students spend five to six hours a day in the school. Therefore, as Covid cases being to rise slowly again, I am scared of sending my kids to school.

One major issue is that school administrations are not very transparent about reporting these cases; they prefer to shove them under the carpet. Recently I came to know through a parents’ WhatsApp group that one of the teachers was suspected to have tested positive of Covid. The parents went into a tizzy. But instead of coming clean on the topic, the school administrators told all the teachers to maintain silence on the issue.

Later we got to know that several teachers and students in the school had reported positive. But the school authorities wouldn’t admit it. They had a deadpan response: ‘We can neither confirm nor deny.’ As a parent I believe, we would be safer if we were aware of all the facts.

Joshi (inset) has two school-going children

There were many schools in UP and NCR who showed courage and came forward to provide detailed data on school outbreaks. But most of them chose to keep such information under wraps.

ALSO READ: ‘As Schools Reopen, Teachers Are Happy But Scared’

An email shared on our WhatsApp group showed the principal of a popular school in our region telling the teachers: “Staff who test positive are not to notify any other staff members, parents of their students or any other person/entity that they may have exposed them.” This has left many teachers vulnerable to infections.

We understand the schools are trying to avoid the shutdown and are therefore hiding the truth. But in the name of protecting personal privacy, they are actually sacrificing public health concerns. The system needs to understand that if Covid outbreak happens among children, the hospitals will be flooded with parents as unlike adults they cannot stay in a hospital alone.

All I want from schools is transparency of Covid data. Any attempt to suppress it will put rumour mills in overdrive. You don’t scare people by telling them what’s going on. You scare them by hiding information.

As told to Deepti Sharma

‘School Environment Provides Children A Holistic Learning’

By LokMarg

Bengaluru-based Arpana Tripathi, 45, is happy about reopening of schools for her daughter. She narrates her reasons for allowing her daughter to go back to school

On September 2nd, we got a communication from my daughter’s school that they have received guidelines from the government and would be reopening for offline classes as well. We didn’t need to think twice about it. My 16-year-old daughter Aarshia who is in Grade 12th was excited to go back to school.

It has been both frustrating and exhausting more mentally than physically for the schoolchildren to be at home for so long now. And if I talk about senior students like my daughter, it is worse for them as they don’t get any breather from studies with online classes at home. It leads to a saturation point for them. My daughter has missed some precious time the past one and half year. The isolation that they faced due to lockdown and being at home due to the pandemic has been horrible.

Be it a primary student or a secondary student, school plays an important role in a student’s life and there is nothing that can compensate for that school time.

Tripathi says her daughter Aarshia (left) is excited about rejoining school

Yes, these are unprecedented times and no one could help so we had to follow the rules laid down by the government to fight the pandemic. No doubt that online classes came as a blessing in these times but at home the kids will only learn what their parents want them to while in school they get to live and learn life on their own, being exposed to various thought processes of the teachers and fellow students.

Social interactions help them in their learning process and inter-personal skills. I see my daughter any day more energetic and happy to be going to school. There is a routine, she looks forward to another day at school unlike the lockdown days and online classes at home when she would be lethargic and saturated. For their holistic well-being and development, they need to return to school as soon as possible. I fully support the government’s decision to reopen school for senior students. It is such a breather for my daughter.

ALSO READ: ‘Won’t Send My Kid To School Till He Is Vaccinated’

I know the kids are yet to be vaccinated but it has been almost two years that we have been fighting Covid-19 and the senior schoolchildren are well aware of the Covid-appropriate behaviour. In fact of what I see, children seem to be more particular in following Covid-19 protocols than the adults.

Besides, the school has made arrangements for social distancing. The students are required to wear two masks, there will be a separate bench for each student, and they have been asked not to share their food or water with classmates. They also sanitise the classrooms on a regular basis.

And to think of it, even if I chose to not send my daughter to school, would that guarantee me zero-risk for her for Covid -19? So not sending them to school is not the solution. School and parents together have to collaborate and make efforts for a safe return of students to school.

I so hope that the third wave doesn’t hit us. For, that will pave the way for students get back to their normal school life.

As Told To Mamta Sharma