BENGALURU: Students of government schools across the state are demanding reopening of institutions. They are of the opinion that offline classes have many benefits that online classes lack.
A student from Karnataka Public School, Kudur, said, “When a teacher teaches in person, it helps us understand better. We want schools to reopen.”
“I am unable to understand classes on Chandana TV,” said a Class 7 student from another government school, while asking the government to open her school so she can also see her friends.
Experts have often said that the lack of schooling has an adverse effect on the psycho-social growth of students, which is often catered to in schools.
Educationist Niranjan Aradhya, who was a part of the committee that recommended Vidyagama project for government schoolchildren, has written to the Education Minister to resume it.
“For the safety of children and their education, schools should be opened before December 15,” he added.
Meanwhile, some school development and monitoring committees have launched an online movement on social media, championing the cause of opening schools.The government’s blanket decision to stop all offline classes till the end of December was not welcomed even by the CISCE board, which had sought reopening of schools on January 4.
Kavita Gupta Sabharwal, founder and head of Neev Academy, told TNIE, “We must allow schools that are ready to reopen to do so based on three factors — age, location and resources. Many countries with soft lockdowns are working to keep schools open, and they have been open since almost the start of the academic year. We need to move towards this at least now. Let schools and pre-schools that are capable of it, open, and let’s learn from their process.”
“Madhya Pradesh has already announced that it will resume Classes 1 to 8 for the next academic year. Younger kids need to come to school too. Covid will leave a lifelong wound in their learning,” she added.
Meanwhile, Manjula, principal of Orchids-The International Schools, BTM Layout, Bengaluru, said, “Ideally, we would prefer to continue classes online, keeping in mind the safety of our students and teachers. There is a lot of concern even among parents to send their children to schools, especially with no vaccines in sight. However, if the government announces that we must reopen schools, we will do so and ensure the highest standard of safety is in place.”