HYDERABAD: The State government, on Saturday, announced that all schools would reopen on July 1 for offline classes. However, several parents in Hyderabad are still scared to send their children to schools, amidst reports of a possible third wave which is said to affect kids. Parents are anxious about the safety protocols that will be followed in schools and if at all they be adequate.
Hima Bindu Kotha, mother of 10-year-old K Meenakshi studying in MNS school, says that she can’t risk the life of her child by sending her to school. She said, “Online classes are already happening. So why do we have to force the children to physically go to schools, especially at a time when there are no vaccines for them? The last time when the government had announced that is starting offline classes, just before the second wave hit TS, there were many reports that a lot of children got infected by Covid. This time the same might happen.”
Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, raised concerns about the safety protocols at schools.
“Now that the government is making us send our children to school, will it take complete responsibility of their safety? We all know how much social distancing will be followed in these schools. Children from all areas will come to schools, even from places that have high caseload. We won’t be able to know who is infected. Children could bring the virus home and put the senior citizens living with us at risk.”
However, the resounding opinion among the parents is that students above Class 9 should also be called to school for physical classes. N Narayana, president of Telangana Parents Association, said, “We welcome the State government’s decision to resume physical classes in all schools. This will greatly help children of government schools as, unlike students of private schools, those in public schools do not have access to technology for online classes. However, the government must also ensure to provide funds to the schools so that they can buy Covid-safety gear for all.”
President of Telangana State Junior Lecturer Forum P Madhusudhan Reddy also welcomed the government’s announcement. However, he advised that the government should vaccinate all the teachers and other staff on a war-footing basis.