Vadodara: Parents association have opposed the state government’s decision to reopen schools and colleges from November 23.
The Vadodara Parents Association (VPA) while condemning the decision said that it will organise protest programmes against the hasty decision.
“Most of the schools are not having basic safety measures like a fire-fighting equipment in place. How will these schools follow SOP for reopening?” questioned VPA office-bearers.
On government’s directive that students should be taken to nearest primary health centre (PHC), if they develop any symptoms, the association questioned whether the PHC are equipped to handle such situations when large hospitals are struggling.
The Akhil Gujarat Wali Mahasangh, Vadodara on the other hand said that schools should not be reopened till there is mass access to a vaccine for the virus.
“We have an assorted mix of age groups of people at home and some of them, especially the elderly, would be more vulnerable to coronavirus than the others. Children may be asymptomatic, but we don’t want elders in the house to pick up something because a child went to school,” it said, adding that as long as there is no vaccination, schools should remain closed even if it stretches to one or two academic year.