Schools reopen, concerns to the fore
KOCHI: After months of speculation and preparations, both aided and unaided schools in the state resumed offline classes at half strength and by adhering to Covid protocol. Day one passed without many complaints, except for the absence of school buses. Kids who reached schools after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half years were jubilant to meet their friends and to spend time in class.
Since most school buses stopped functioning or couldn’t pass fitness tests, parents struggled to pick up and drop children. Few private schools are yet to reopen. Classes are being held in two batches — first on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the second on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Students of classes 7, 9 and 11 students will be back in schools from November 15, said Ushakumari, headmistress of GGHSS, Perumbavoor.
“The teachers and staff were trained regarding Covid protocol. Classes will happen only till the afternoon and primary students will be served lunch. All classrooms have been fumigated and will be sanitised after class hours. Sanitisers are placed in every class and children have been asked to bring at least one extra mask. In the first two weeks, we are conducting entertainment activities to motivate children after months of online classes,” she added.
Labs, libraries and toilets were cleaned with the help of the parents teachers association (PTA). Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) had held several meetings to prepare for the school reopening, especially regarding safety measures.
“The commission had organised meetings in all the districts with stakeholders like police, motor vehicles department and school authorities last month. Schools will not be provided with fitness certificates unless repair work is complete,” said K Naseer, KeSCPCR member.
Transportation woes
During the lockdown, school bus drivers who lost their jobs started taking up other odd jobs. Now, they are hesitant to return. In effect, the schoolchildren, who have been banking on the school buses and other private vehicles for daily commute, are in trouble. Many school buses failed to clear the fitness test after lying idle for over a year, and are under repair. A few schools are hopeful that they can arrange school buses within this month. Ernakulam regional transport officer (RTO) P M Shabeer said only two of the 800 school buses passed the fitness test. “We had given the schools enough time to repair their buses, but they could not do it due to financial issues. Many schools are not sure how many students will turn up soon after the reopening and so they are unable to calculate the demand for school buses. Students equal to the seating capacity of buses will be allowed to board. All these factors and the increase in fuel prices are making it hard for school authorities to reinstate bus services,” said the RTO.
With schools functioning only till afternoon, many working parents are finding it difficult to drop their wards and pick them up. Reeja Menon, the headmistress of RMMLPS, Nettoor admitted this is a problem for many parents at her school too. She was hopeful of arranging transportation for her school’s students in the next couple of weeks.
Need for designated counsellors
After being confined to their homes for months, a majority of the children are facing psychological issues. Kids hailing from dysfunctional or conflicted families would have a problem in adjusting. Psychiatrists feel children might open up more in the school environment and hence, there is a need for more dedicated counsellors to handle those who are in trouble. Officials at Chiri, the police helpline for kids that started during the lockdown, also stated that there is an increase in the number of kids struggling due to mental distress. Most schools have Souhrida clubs with a teacher trained to act as the coordinator. But in the current situation, that will not be enough, said psychiatrist Dr C J John. “When kids come back to school, the chances of them opening up are more, especially children who have gone through disturbing situations. I had taken classes for counsellors and told them that they should be equipped to face such situations,” he said. KeSCPCR member Naseer K said the commission had already given a directive to all the schools to strengthen protection committees. These committees will take care of the infrastructure as well as the wellbeing of the students.