Activists bat for reduction in school hours in TN

With schools gearing up to open for classes 9-12, there have been calls to hold classes on alternate days with shorter teaching hours
Unlike in pre-pandemic times, students will not be allowed to interact closely when schools reopen on September 1 | P Jawahar
Unlike in pre-pandemic times, students will not be allowed to interact closely when schools reopen on September 1 | P Jawahar

CHENNAI: As schools in Tamil Nadu are set to reopen for students of classes 9 to 12 on September 1, stakeholders have been demanding that all precautions be taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

“Even before the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was announced, we had appealed to the government to conduct classes with half the strength on alternate days. If there are 40 students in a class, 20 could have classes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the others on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This will ensure minimal interaction,” said PK Ilamaran, president Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association.

Meanwhile, when schools were contacted, most commented that they would divide students into groups and hold classes in different rooms simultaneously.

“There will be a lot of empty classrooms and we can accommodate a lot of groups,” said R Premalatha, principal of a private school in Egmore. But activists point out there are not enough teachers to hold simultaneous classes and this arrangement could compromise quality of education. Another important demand is reduction in the number of working hours.

“Children will not be able to wear masks continuously for more than five hours. If mask observation is not adhered to, it negates the purpose of SOP. In fact, even the public have stopped wearing masks at all times. We are talking about children here. School hours must be reduced,” said KL Vijayan, an education rights activist from Nandambakkam.

Other demands include sanitising classrooms every morning, regular temperature checks and connecting every school to a public health centre. School education department officials did not comment on the various demands that have arisen but said the State government will consider all measures.

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