Don’t reopen till Covid-19 is controlled: Parents to schools

PANAJI: Parents of students across the state have told institutes that their wards shouldn’t be called to school for physical classes till the Covid-19 situation is brought under control. The directorate of education (DoE) had told schools to collect feedback from parents about the reopening of schools and the conduct of classes online. On Tuesday, they began compiling data to submit to the directorate before the June 10 deadline.
Education officials themselves held two separate meetings online with parent teacher associations (PTAs) of around 95 primary and 53 secondary schools. Here too, most representatives said that since Covid-19 cases are rising in Goa, the reopening of schools in July should be avoided.
“Most PTAs of primary schools said that they cannot risk sending such young children to school in the current circumstances,” said a PTA representative present at the meeting. “They said that as per new guidelines from the central government, reopening of schools should only be considered after August 15. Parents suggested that some portion of the syllabus can be trimmed if and when possible.”
PTA representatives also said that parents of both primary and high school students agreed that Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and other holidays could be cut down later so that the syllabus can be completed.
“Most PTAs said that even once physical classes start, they should start with students of Class IX and X first,” a parent said. “Depending on how things work out, lower classes can later be started one by one. Also, though teachers have been trained by the DoE in online teaching methods, most complained about network issues. Parents were worried that while syllabus for lower classes can be trimmed, this cannot be done with Class IX and X, as it forms the base for higher classes.”
The head of a Margao school said that in the feedback they received from parents, some agreed to send Class IX and X students to school for classes even before schools reopen, provided the students of the two classes are called on alternate days to maintain social distancing.
“Network issues are being experienced in many areas, and students are having trouble accessing online classes,” the school head said. “This is the only reason some parents are willing to send students of Class IX and X to school out of anxiety that they may miss out on the syllabus.”
At the meeting with deputy director of education Shailesh Zingade, parents also expressed concerns over cyber-bullying and the misuse of devices by students once they are in possession of a device for online classes without the supervision of parents who are now gradually returning to work.
Rahul Deshpande, trustee of People’s High School, Panaji, said, “We sent out a detailed questionnaire via Google forms for parents to fill up, and most parents are of the view that physical classes should not be held till Covid-19 cases in Goa are under control or a vaccine is found. Eighty-six percent of parents of primary students said that physical classes should not be started, 79% at the high school level and 75% at the higher secondary level said the same. They are overwhelmingly in favour of continuing with teaching online (82% at primary level, 86% at high school and 92% at higher secondary level) as students of our school are not facing network issues and all have the required devices.”
Vice-president of PTA for Don Bosco school, Panaji’s higher secondary section, Sintia Da Costa Fernandes, said that she has suggested that Goa sticks to central government guidelines and considers opening schools only after August 15. “Cases in Goa are currently on the rise, and it would be better to hold a review on whether schools can reopen by the last week of July or in the first week of August.”
Meanwhile, PTA head of Utkarsh Vidyamandir High School, Ponda, Dattatraya Naik, said, “We have three to four doctors as PTA members, and parents are not ready to send their children to school, even for students of Class IX and X. They were of the view that schools should not reopen till the situation in Goa is safe. They want classes to be managed online only, and asked us to conduct them in whatever way possible. However, many are facing network issues.”