PANJIM/MARGAO/VASCO: After nearly one-and-a-half years, the doors of many schools in Goa opened to beaming faces of students, who were excited to be back in school, after a prolonged shutdown due to COVID pandemic. On Monday, students and teachers of Classes 9 to 12 were back to school. All these months the students were attending online classes from home. Students and parents shared mixed reactions on starting of physical classes.
After the Education Department issued guidelines for restarting physical classes for Classes 9 to 12 from Monday; some managements consulted PTAs and took their own decision regarding resumption of classes. However, some schools have continued with online classes due to COVID pandemic.
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Principal Surekha Kelkar of DCT’s Vasantrao Dempo, Higher Secondary School of Arts Science and Commerce, Cujira said, “We received the government circular to conduct offline Classes from October 18, so we have started offline exams for Classes XI and XII from Monday. The exams for Class XII students were held from 8.30 am to 9.30 am, while the exams for Class XI students were held at 11 am after a gap of one-and-a-half hours. Teaching and non-teaching directed students to the classes. Sitting arrangements were sent to students on WhatsApp, so there was no confusion. We have done sanitisation and fogging of the campus so that there is no risk to students.”
A parent from Panjim said physical classes were very much needed for students. Interaction between students and teachers is a must. Online classes were forced onto to students due to the COVID pandemic, they were helpful, but it was not possible to solve students’ difficulties.
Rajeev Dessai, Principal of Damodar High School, Margao said students are indeed extremely happy to be back. They were stressed out at home. Teachers visited every class and tried to pacify the students to stay cool. Online classes created lot of problems for students at home since teaching was a one-way process. The situation is good now to conduct offline classes.
“We have told the students if they are not prepared for the Class XI exams they should not worry since there are four more exams,” Dessai said.
Most students said it was a good feeling to step back into the class and meet friends. They complained of facing lot of problems in attending online classes.
Few parents were agitated that physical classes were started without taking parents into confidence. Nicolau Estbeiro, parent of a Class IX student recounted that teachers did not take parents into confidence, that no circular was sent, but they just sent a message that classes are starting on October 18.
“What guarantee is there that students will be safe in school? Students and teachers’ interaction should be there. They have directly conducted exams. Government should take some action,” Estibeiro told Herald.
Prajyothi Pawar, another parent, said none of the students who are below 18 years have been vaccinated. Parents have not been taken into confidence regarding restarting of schools.
“We were not informed about the protocols. Will they follow the SOPs? Will social distancing be followed? Who is responsible if children get infected? Students were told to strictly attend the school, without giving us any options,” Pawar said.
On the other hand, Manisha Das, a student exclaimed that she felt lucky to be back attending school.
“Offline classes are better than online classes. Teachers tried their best to solve our doubts. Now we are excited to meet all our friends, but we will have to follow all safety guidelines,” she reasoned.
Anoushka Pednekar, a student from Mapusa too said she was very happy to be back. She said her studies suffered in the online mode due to Internet connectivity issues.
Meanwhile, reopening of schools evoked positive response from the students of Salcete taluka.
Several students, who attended their classes on Monday, were in cheerful mood. School managements monitored the movement of their students with regard to SOPs.
Speaking to Herald Dr Uday Gaonkar, Deputy Director of South Education Zone said classes for Class IX to XII students have resumed after the order issued by the government, and thereafter by the Education Department.
“The Department has already issued guidelines with regard to COVID-19, and all school managements have strictly followed them on the first day after reopening the schools”, he said.
A Class IX student of Mount Mary High School, Chinchinim said he felt good attending classes after a long gap.
“I met my friends on the first day after a long gap”, he said.
The reopening of schools in Mormugao taluka evoked a mixed response as some parents complained that they had not been informed in advance about the decision on reopening of schools
They expressed concerns over their children’s safety while some students were ecstatic to attend regular classes which they said will help in getting their queries solved.
A parent of student studying in Class IX at St Andrew’s School said, “The State government should have taken parents into confidence before commencing regular classes. We, parents were not shown any order/notification related to the reopening of school and with regards to offline examination. We do not know whether our children are safe in the school.”
Another parent feared that her son studying in Class IX has not been vaccinated and many children are yet to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The government should have convened a meeting for parents in the school and should have informed them about the decision to start regular classes which was not done.
“We are not aware of any safety protocols in the school. How will the school management ensure that social distancing will be maintained by students? Who will take the responsibility if something happens to our children,” the parent asked.
Meanwhile, teachers from Keshav Smruti School, said, “When we received the instructions from the Education Department to conduct undertake Class IX and X examinations offline, we informed students’ parents. The parents, who were initially sceptical about this decision, later attended the PTA meeting and got their doubts cleared.”
Welcoming the decision to conduct physical classes, the teachers said after the examinations, from November 17 regular classes will commence following all the government SOPs and by taking the PTA into confidence.
Students were overjoyed to attend their regular classes and meet their schoolmates. The students said they will get an opportunity to clear their doubts related to studies.
