BENGALURU: Private schools are gearing up to bring back younger students to offline classes from October 25. For the initial days, school administrators are bringing in a team of counsellors to help students readjust with the school environment and prepare a schedule so that classes can be held in rotation.
The administrators said that they are comfortable with the Covid-19 protocols considering that the older students are already on campus. Rakesh Singh, Academic Implementation Head of Orchids-- The International School, said, “Since we have already started offline classes in some of our branches for higher classes, we already have hands-on experience in following the protocols suggested by the Karnataka State authorities on school reopening.
The school has kept ready a team of counsellors in each of their branches; primary students and staff members have been away from school for the last one-and-a--half years and we understand that initially, they may have some adaptability issues with the new routine. Anticipating the same, we have kept a team of counsellors on standby in every branch to help anyone who requires emotional or psychological attention.”
Meanwhile, Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School, said that younger kids need to be back in school as they have been socially isolated since March 2020. She pointed out that the psychological impact of the situation has already manifested in many children. “We are just delighted that these kids will finally be able to physically attend school,” she added.
Concurring Sastri, Aloysius D’Mello, Principal, Greenwood High International School said that class days held in rotation may help to pragmatically balance online and offline learning processes while reducing infection risks. “We look forward to hosting them in our campus, dressed up in their uniforms and finally, interacting with their friends face-to-face,” she adds.
Meanwhile, budget schools under the State Board are struggling with the hybrid model and only a segment of schools, who are part of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), have been able to access the curated online platform and manage to continue academically. A teacher of a CBSE school opined that the lack of transportation facilities is playing a “spoilsport” for younger students and parents are hesitant to send them back to schools as the Covid-19 vaccine has not been administered to children.