Put students at risk, or their careers? Gujarat in a bind

AHMEDABAD: “To open schools or not to open” is the big question that the state government is mulling over since the Union health ministry released an SOP for partial reopening of schools for students of Classes IX to XII.
According to the SOP, this is to be on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers and has to be implemented from September 21. The SOP outlines various generic precautionary measures to be adopted in addition to specific measures to be taken when schools allow students to visit.

However, school managements are not in favour of opening schools as they will be held responsible if a child gets infected in school. They are in favour of online classes until a vaccine is in the market and the spread of the epidemic brought under control.
Even educators are apprehensive about getting infected during one-to-one interactions.

Saloni Mishra, an educator says, “We are safe and comfortable while teaching online. Who will teach if we get infected?” Even students are not comfortable with the idea of continuously sanitizing hands and wearing masks for hours.
According to official sources, the reopening of schools is not mandatory and it is on the state government to take a decision after reviewing the spread of coronavirus in the state. A source in the state government said, “It is concerning to us that earlier the Covid spread was confined to four major cities –Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Surat, but now it has started making inroads in rural areas.”
Speaking to TOI, education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said, “We will study the guidelines, discuss with all stakeholders and then decide accordingly after considering all pros and cons.” The Haryana government has decided to open two government schools to assure people that it is safe to send children to school. The Haryana government is planning to open all schools.