Two teachers in two different schools testing Covid-positive have suddenly cast a shadow over the decision to resume physical classes for Std X and XII. Anguish and panic began to creep in as a teacher at Mushtifund High School and Higher Secondary School at the Cujira Complex, and another teacher at Usgao tested positive. Teachers suddenly became targets of critique as Covid began making inroads into schools despite the protocols.
Both incidents will send managements of the schools into a tizzy. However, here is a helpless situation for all -- the education department, teachers, students and the school managements. Classes X and XII are decisive for students who have toiled years to reach here, and there is an immense responsibility towards all to ensure that the moment of reckoning for them doesn’t end in an anti-climax.
The decision to resume classes was well deliberated and discussed with stakeholders, and there were protocols put in place. Teachers had an arduous task at hand, repeating one lesson three to four times since there are batches of fewer students in every class. The students had to comply with safety protocols of face masks, sanitization and social distancing at all times. The management had to provide all logistical support to ensure that all follow protocols.
The reopening of schools may not have run as per the script because of practical issues. For example, there is no control over students who travel by private buses, or students who mix with their colleagues or friends during breaks. A new order is going to be always difficult to follow religiously, no matter the consequences. There may be SOPs in place, but there is no mechanism to track asymptomatic carriers. Despite all of these limitations, a calculated risk was taken to open schools in the interest of students facing board exams.
Mushtifund School and the Usgao school have suspended physical classes. Still, there will be fears over contacts of those found Covid-positive, and it’s going to be further problematic if the infection is passed on to students. In this context, it would make better sense if the schools in question remain closed for an extended duration and monitor the situation very closely. Continuing with the online form of teaching during the interim is the only way to keep the connection active between students and the curriculum.
The virus remains unpredictable and going by the health bulletin the infection rate shows an inconsistent graph. On Tuesday there were no deaths reported, but there were 159 new cases on the list. The figure was different on Wednesday’s report, which showed two fatalities and 101 people positive. A vaccine against the virus may be on the horizon, but Covid is very much lethal as before. Instead of blaming school managements and teachers, stakeholders should reconcile to the harsh ground realities of teaching.
