The State government is set to announce the re-opening of classes for Std I to VIII after the task force deliberated on the suggestions of the expert committee on Covid management and set a tentative November 22 date. While the decision needs to be welcomed, the sluggishness with which the entire system has moved, experts included, is surprising. Why was there such a long delay in arriving at a crucial decision that has a direct bearing on the mental health, wellbeing and growth of students?
The urgency to resume schooling was expressed by UNICEF on Children's Day with India representative Yasumasa Kimura lamenting that students have lost a learning opportunity and the 15-month break has put the future of an entire generation at risk. Worldwide, the 'learning crisis' and deteriorating mental health have been subjects of debate.
In Goa, the emphasis on learning is lost even though households and almost everyone have swung back to normal living. Families prefer to take children for shopping, movies, dinners and social events but are reluctant when it comes to schooling. It may be noted, a large section of higher classes that were already allowed to open from October 18 have opted to continue with the online teaching while staying away from physical attendance. Likewise, the response from students in the few schools that are taking physical classes isn’t encouraging either.
It is important to bring children back to the classrooms immediately, especially since there is a remarkable recovery against Covid. The delay in decision-making has been the biggest trigger of fear forcing parents and other stakeholders to adopt a negative approach. If we may ask, why has the government made this issue a complicated one, and why wasn’t the process expedited? Consult paediatricians, specialists, expert panel, task force and whoever needs to be consulted, but show urgency. At this stage, the delay is not helping anyone.
If the government and the education department are concerned about the safety of students, then there is a lot to be done on the ground. Issuing SOPs alone will not help, rather, the department must ensure that checks and balances are in place. ADEIs must be engaged for spot inspections on compliance. There is a higher count of students to monitor once physical schooling resumes and hence the pressure on infrastructure will be more. Monitoring cannot be only in classrooms.
Incidentally, as Goa braces up for reopening schools, significant positives are emerging. The State has reported lesser infections and the situation across India has drastically improved with the lowest positive cases of 8,865 registered in 287 days on Tuesday. However, with life galloping towards normalcy, we can't be oblivious of the third wave. Predictions made by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Institute of Disaster Management may have failed, but there is every need to be on the guard.
