The advent of the covid-19 vaccine has heightened optimism to end the prolonged disruptions to schooling. Schools being closed is far from ideal in all situations except of course where there is a threat to life to students and teachers. Time has proved that home schooling is all but a poor substitute for professional teaching among the students. The absence of in-person lessons, in classrooms, has had a very bad impact on various fronts.
Everyone wants young people to be educated and those extremely concerned by the prospect of educational inequalities widening are very much justifiable at their own place.
The government has decided to open schools with effect from February 1 in Jammu. The opening up process of schools, however, is strictly on the condition of observing the usual mandatory compliance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for covid -19 precautions. In Kashmir valley, the schools are scheduled to open after the winter break.
The authorities in Srinagar also launched a ‘Covid-19 Safe School Programme’ which is aimed at developing complete SOPs on School Safety including Covid-19 infections; prevention and control, safe re-opening of schools, school safety and mid-day meals. The others are expected to follow the suit.
The school managements are expected to ensure strict observance of absolute precautions for the safety of students.
The focus must be on driving transmission down. Even as the dates for reopening have been made, there are good reasons to be concerned for children’s welfare. Finely balanced decisions about when and how to reopen schools must be always based on scientific evidence.
A need remains to minimize negative impacts during the present phase by resolute adherence to safety protocols, and additional vigilance on the part of health authorities in all spheres.
The citizens cannot be lax about safe behavior including universal use of face coverings, personal hygiene and distancing norms. Poor adherence to safety norms by the average citizen can only jeopardise the reopening of schools further, even with a vaccine available.
Needless to add maintaining physical distance between teachers and students and students themselves inter-se are absolutely imperative. Therefore seating arrangements should be in that order in classrooms. It is the duty of one and all to ensure that all children are safe whether in school or out of it.
