Schools Reopening: Teachers geared up; parents tense amid COVID-surge

Shiksha.com connected with teachers, parents and school heads to understand the ground reality behind this opinion divide on school reopening in India amid the covid-19 surge.

Summer vacations are almost over across the country and schools are set to reopen from July 1 in many parts of India. However, with weekly COVID-19  positivity rate currently standing at 3.36 per cent, there is a sense of tension and anxiety among parents considering the health and safety of their children. Whereas, schools are quite sure that offline classes must not be disrupted anymore in order to bridge the learning gap that has occurred among students since 2020.

Shiksha.com connected with teachers, parents and school heads to understand the ground reality behind this opinion divide on school reopening in India.

Parents anxious amid COVID-19 surge

With over 80,000 new infections, fresh Covid-19 cases in the week ending Sunday surged to the highest in nearly four months. However, the deaths from the virus have remained low compared to previous outbreaks.

As per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the nation recorded 11,793 fresh COVID infections in a span of 24 hours, which is less than the previous day`s count of 17,073. In the same period, the country reported 27 more deaths, taking the nationwide toll to 5,25,047.

“My kid is just 4 year old. I try my best to make him understand that he has to maintain social distance, use sanitizer, wear masks. However, considering his age, we cannot expect him to be careful all the time. I want the best school for my kid but at the same time ‘health is wealth’ and amid all the increasing COVID-19 cases, I am too tensed to send him back to school,” Anjali Sinha, parent of a Class 1 student. 

“One of my children started going to school in April and got infected. Eventually, his classmates also turned out to be COVID-19 positive. This happened when the summer breaks were approaching. My wife and I managed to take good care of him during the vacation period and thankfully no one else in the family got infected. But now, the horror is back, schools are reopening and we are not sure if we will be tension-free sending our kids back to school, said Rahul Gupta, father of a 6-year-old.

Schools set to welcome back students

Emphasising that all measures are being undertaken to get students used to life in the Covid-19 pandemic, Rajni Jhamb, a PGT teacher at DAV Public School Pushpanjali Enclave, New Delhi, said, “There is no second thought that life during COVID 19 was difficult for both parents and children. Lack of physical schooling has affected the mental health of students and an increased number of children have failed to acquire what they were taught online. Though schools had opened in the month of January 2022, the attendance was thin. However, we are expecting an increase in the number of children returning in July after summer break. The schools are ready to welcome the students with open arms and preparations are in full swing.”

Talking about the measures schools is prepping up to keep children safe, Jhamb said, “Certain practical measures that schools are taking include: Opening and closure of school are at staggered timings to avoid any rush; Posters and banners are pasted in every classroom on physical distancing measures and school hygiene practices; Mandatory use of masks; The gatekeepers are given strict instructions to sanitize every visitor, student and faculty and check their temperature.”

“To cope up with any such likely situation where anyone tests positive, it is proposed that hybrid mode of learning can be undertaken for those classes so that students do not suffer. Happiness of children can be attained when they are given open space for learning and physical classroom environment will surely bring back the smiles on their faces,” Jhamb added.

Schools are claiming that COVID-19 is the new normal and parents need to understand that precaution is the only key to keep students safe. However, closure of schools is not the right option.  “As the schools are going to reopen it is essential that care is taken to follow all safety norms required to fight COVID. Precautions are needed both inside and outside the classrooms by both the students and the faculty,” said Shikha Banerjee, Principal, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur.

She further added, “We at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur, have ensured safety through the following all COVID protocols, 100%vaccination of the entire staff, Vaccination camps in school for 15-18 years and 12-14 years, Regular sanitization of the classes and the building, Practicing health and hygiene and Encouraging students to not gather and socialize in big groups upon leaving school grounds.”

“At SAI International, we are still following the COVID protocols as suggested by the State Government,” assured Dr Silpi Sahoo, Chairperson, SAI International Education Group. She further added, “Our Schools have reopened as per the state directives. At our entry gates, we have instituted temperature scanners. Wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing and provision of thermal scanning & use of hand wash or sanitizer is a mandatory practice for everyone in the School. Apart from this, we are also educating and orienting the children about the menace and how we can win over it. All our teachers and staff are vaccinated, and our next step is getting done the precautionary dose for all. We are constantly educating the parents on vaccination and its impact in fighting COVID 19.”

What if COVID-19 cases emerge in school?

Talking about the situation if COVID-19 cases emerge among students, Sahoo said, “In case of any symptom we inform the parent and simultaneously shift the child to the emergency isolation room designed especially for COVID cases in the Infirmary section of SAI International. It is applicable to all students, teachers, and staff. If cases increase, we will wait for the Government’s mandate and work in accordance to that. Our digital infrastructure is in place and shifting to the online mode from offline will be a smooth transition.”

Keeping the situation in mind, Banerjee said, “As my prime responsibility as the Principal of the school, we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared well to face the challenge and threat posed by the pandemic. God forbid, but if the cases rise we are all set to take the challenge as it comes. In case there are only a few cases, we may isolate the students and help them cover up the syllabus after their recovery. But if there is a major escalation, we may choose to run the school in shifts.”

Banerjee added, “Safety of my staff and students is always my priority. Without even batting an eyelid I can say that just in case the COVID cases emerge, we can overnight change to the online mode of teaching. Owing to a dedicated staff, a committed faculty and supportive management, the school’s online learning platforms are as competent and effective as the offline.”

How are schools working to bridge the learning gap?

The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of schools. To continue academic activities, schools and educational institutions shifted the teaching-learning method online. Events took place via virtual mode and even exams were conducted online. Various states announced mass promotions for multiple classes without any exams and that resulted in widened learning gap among students.

 “Cumulative months of unfinished learning due to the pandemic have left students way behind in reading, writing, speaking, playing, and expressing.  I have very minutely observed that apart from losses in academic learning, the well-being of students because of social isolation has been an area of concern. This has necessitated the need for relooking at the ways of learning management and engagement of the students,” said Banerjee.

“In my school, I have made sure that my learners play more, read more and talk more, so that the gaps that have somewhere deprived them of these pleasures can be bridged. The curriculum has been redesigned to facilitate more of Project-Based Learning for the benefit of the students. Special Yoga classes and Social-Emotional Learning sessions are there to take care of their mental health and wellness. For senior classes, we have made a shift from pure information recall to building an understanding of concepts together with scholastic skills and competencies. With these baby steps we are sure to take a leap forward in spite of the setbacks caused by COVID-19,” the Principal added.

Several states are conducting initiatives such as ‘Mission Buniyaad’ in Delhi to bridge the learning gap among children. States such as Maharashtra, West Bengal are formulating curricula to cover the syllabus that was taught online for students who missed virtual classes due to lack of internet connectivity.

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