CHENNAI: Officials from the corporation and the revenue department visited several private and government schools in the city on Saturday to assess the suitability of turning them into isolation wards. Though some schools volunteered for the purpose, many have expressed concern citing stigma about using their buildings as medical facility.
Private schools say using their premises to keep asymptomatic patients or quarantined people should be the last resort.
However, officials from the school education department have already submitted a list of 400 schools in Chennai and its neighbouring areas to be used for Covid-19-related work. "A team would inspect these schools to find out the suitability. Schools with toilets and water facilities would be handed over to district administration,” they said as the corporation has asked the district collector to identify and take over private and government school buildings for Covid-19 work.
“There will be psychological fear among students when schools reopen. Parents have expressed concern about using the school premises as quarantine facility. The government should use private schools as a final option," said N Vijayan, patron of Kancheepuram District Self-Financing Private Schools Association.
Some school principals also worried that using school premises for Covid-19 related work should not delay the reopening of schools. K R Nandakumar, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association urged the corporation commissioner to reconsider the order of taking over private schools. "Many schools are concerned that parents may not send their wards to schools if they are used by Covid-19 patients," he said.
"The corporation has invoked disaster management act to take over school buildings. We cannot say no since it is a calamity. But, I think using schools should be the last resort," said P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidhyashram.
Meanwhile, some schools like Don Bosco school in Parrys and Thiru-Vi-Ka Higher Secondary School in Shenoy Nagar have decided to hand over their premises for Covid-19-related work. K John, headmaster of Thiru-Vi-Ka Higher Secondary School, said, “Schools would be safe to use after disinfecting them.” "The corporation would use only a few private schools after exhausting corporation schools and colleges. After the Covid-19 work is over, the school would be completely disinfected for two days," officials said.
(With inputs from Siddharth Prabhakar)
Private schools say using their premises to keep asymptomatic patients or quarantined people should be the last resort.
However, officials from the school education department have already submitted a list of 400 schools in Chennai and its neighbouring areas to be used for Covid-19-related work. "A team would inspect these schools to find out the suitability. Schools with toilets and water facilities would be handed over to district administration,” they said as the corporation has asked the district collector to identify and take over private and government school buildings for Covid-19 work.
“There will be psychological fear among students when schools reopen. Parents have expressed concern about using the school premises as quarantine facility. The government should use private schools as a final option," said N Vijayan, patron of Kancheepuram District Self-Financing Private Schools Association.
Some school principals also worried that using school premises for Covid-19 related work should not delay the reopening of schools. K R Nandakumar, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association urged the corporation commissioner to reconsider the order of taking over private schools. "Many schools are concerned that parents may not send their wards to schools if they are used by Covid-19 patients," he said.
"The corporation has invoked disaster management act to take over school buildings. We cannot say no since it is a calamity. But, I think using schools should be the last resort," said P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidhyashram.
Meanwhile, some schools like Don Bosco school in Parrys and Thiru-Vi-Ka Higher Secondary School in Shenoy Nagar have decided to hand over their premises for Covid-19-related work. K John, headmaster of Thiru-Vi-Ka Higher Secondary School, said, “Schools would be safe to use after disinfecting them.” "The corporation would use only a few private schools after exhausting corporation schools and colleges. After the Covid-19 work is over, the school would be completely disinfected for two days," officials said.
(With inputs from Siddharth Prabhakar)
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