Ensuring the maintenance of safety guidelines will be a significant challenge in the coming days as a section of students and teachers returned to school campuses in Ernakulam district on Monday after a long holiday prompted by the pandemic crisis.
Based on initial feedback from stakeholders, attendance in government and aided schools was better than in unaided institutions. However, officials have pointed out that this could not be properly assessed as the schools were running in batches.
Both parents and children remained concerned on the first day of reopening as the ‘new normal’ included wearing masks and physical distancing in and out of the classroom.
Teachers also shared a similar concern as they have to be extra cautious to avoid the possibility of spread or formation of clusters within the campuses.
Industries Minister P. Rajeev, who inaugurated the district level ‘Praveshotsavam’ online, Emphasizing the need to follow the safety guidelines while continuing the offline mode of learning.
The first day was primarily dedicated to educating children on the safety and health protocols prescribed by the education and health departments. Principals of various schools spoke to the students and asked them not to let down their guard. Children with co-morbidities and symptoms of cold and fever were asked to stay at home till they recovered.
Officials said that many children with disabilities preferred to stay at home, while some parents expressed their desire to send the children to school after taking stock of the situation. Ernakulam Deputy Director Education Honey G Alexander said regular assessment and monitoring would be done to ensure the safety of students and teachers.
The unaided management cited non-availability of school buses for the low turnout in most of the schools. Some schools are planning to operate buses in the coming days, if parents agree to meet the hike in bus charges following the hike in fuel prices. Management associations also urged the government to relax the norm of one student per seat to bring more students to the campuses.
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