DoE: schools cannot be reopened in August

Panaji: The department of education (DoE) has prepared a report on the scenario in Goa in relation to reopening of the schools for the academic year 2020-21, clearly indicating that under the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, it would not be possible to restart these educational institutions in the month of August.

The report, which further includes timeline as regards reopening of the schools in Goa, has been submitted to the government.

The report has been prepared after seeking related views of the parents, whose wards are studying in government, aided and unaided schools.

The DoE had dispatched online forms to all the schools in Goa, stating that the headmaster/ principal of each school should hold a meeting with the teachers of each class to collect the required information. “Please make sure that the teachers have verified the data from the parents of the students,” the forms had maintained.

It is learnt from confidential sources that most of the parents are not inclined to send their children to the schools unless and until the corona pandemic subsides or a foolproof vaccine is ready to be used to counter the COVID-19 transmissions.

The DoE, in view of the increasing COVID-19 cases in the state, has arrived at the conclusion that schools in Goa cannot be reopened in the month of August.

Incidentally, the Ministry of Human Resource Development had issued guidelines stating that the educational and coaching institutions in the country will remain closed till July 31, 2020.

The confidential sources further stated that the MHRD could start unlock exercise for educational institutions in the country from August 1, based on the prevailing COVID-19 situation at that time.

“It is expected that the Ministry of Home Affairs will give directions to MHRD and the Ministry for Health and Family Welfare to prepare broad guidelines for reopening of educational institutions across the country,” it was informed, “And based on these broad guidelines, the respective states will prepare the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for these institutions.”

“However, the response from the parents as well as the existing COVID-19 situation in Goa indicate that the schools in Goa would not reopen till the end of August,” the confidential sources maintained.

Meanwhile, the teachers, who have been forced to come to schools from June 24, are demanding that they be allowed to work from home, as no student is allowed to attend school. The teachers have assured the government that they would continue teaching their students online from their home instead of from the school.