The decision by the government to reopen schools from Standard 1 to 12 has evoked mixed feelings among students and parents in the State. Some reactions were nuanced, others less so. Some were excited with the opportunity to meet their classmates physically after two years and the prospect of getting out of the house, while others thought it was too early to open up and would make sense to wait a little longer.
Jason John Nathan Jr., a student in the secondary section said he was not excited with the decision. He said, “I feel more neutral on it because the portion is complete so we’re not really doing much. But it’s nice going to school and hanging out with friends. My parents want me to go to school and do more since I’m in the 10th. I do agree that the authorities should’ve taken more time in making such a decision because many students have had corona and coming to school makes it dangerous for their homes.”
Dr Lloyd De Souza, a medical professional and a parent, was of the opinion that it would not be possible to be in a situation where one would be absolutely safe in the near future. He said, “However when the Pros outweigh the Cons it’s time to take a decision. Our children are missing out on a beautiful part of their interactive school life. The schools were shut when it was risky but when we are in a situation where parents and children are doing practically everything else besides going to school, I think it’s a good decision to open schools with caution.”
Ishita Rao, who has a younger school going sibling, felt that younger students below Standard 5 should not be in school because they would be excited at the prospect of meeting friends and would not follow the safety protocols, thus exposing themselves to danger. She said, “I have a sibling in the Standard 3 and he is very excited at the prospect of going back to school and meeting friends. He thinks he can go to school and play with his friends, perhaps not aware of the protocols. Students in the senior classes are aware of the dangers involved in close proximity. I am ok with them being called back to school.” She also felt the younger students’ immunity may not be strong which could expose them to the virus. She felt if one students gets infected, the virus will spread again, leading to another lockdown.
Timothy Lobo, a father of a young son, felt it was an excellent idea to open schools. He said, “They have not had social interaction for two years and it would be great to get them out of the house. We realised online classes were not anything great to write home about. The teachers were doing their job but it was the parents who had to ensure the kid studied. Personally I think online instruction was a flop. And yes, you cannot have children at home all the time, they become very difficult to handle after a point.”
Genevieve Dcunha a parent however felt that online classes were as effective as physical school in the case of older kids.
“Their concentration levels are more. Younger kids need to socialise with their classmates, learn discipline from their teachers and give a vent to their pent up energy. They need some form of offline schooling. Having said that, schools will open as per the directives. For the vaccinated kids, it’s fine. For non vaccinated kids schools must take special precautions like social distancing in class, no canteen food, ensure they bring tiffin and own water bottle from home, check body temperature randomly,” she said.
Pushpa Varghese, a parent who has two school-going children, expressed her happiness. “This is the right decision, even though a seemingly rushed one. We hope the schools have the requisite SOPs in place. It’s high time we took education back to the classroom. We as parents must act maturely in managing this transition”.
Well the decision has been made and one can only hope it all works out fine with no cases reported at school.