GURUGRAM: Schools in the city have welcomed Haryana government’s move to allow them to restart offline classes for classes VI to VIII from February 1. However, parents have raised concerns over the decision and the standard operating procedures that may require their wards to furnish medical fitness certificates at the schools.
Schools, on their part, claimed that they are prepared to call the students back and also ensure complete implementation of the Covid-related protocols.
The decision by the state government came over a month after the government reopened the schools for students of classes IX to XII. Private school associations in the state urged the government to allow the resumption of full academic operations at the campuses. Both private and government schools, meanwhile, claimed that they are fully geared up to resume classes.
“The state is moving towards normalcy and the vaccination drive is going on in full swing. Also, with nearly two months left for the exams and the new session to begin, it’s high time to call students back to the schools,” said (retd) Col KR Pratap Singh, senior vice-president of Haryana Progressive Schools Conference and chairman of Colonel’s Central Academy (CCA).
While schools are still waiting for the final standard operating procedures, many expect that the guidelines would largely be the same as that of students in classes IX to XII. Besides basic protocols like thermal scanning and sanitisation, the schools are chalking out session timings and schedules to ensure physical distancing at the campuses.
A majority of the schools will be dividing the classes into two different sections to ensure physical distancing. The classes will be held on alternate days.
“The sessions will be planned with physical distancing in mind and the load on the teachers. Each class will be divided into at least two sections and the teachers would be taking the same session twice,” Singh added.
With many schools holding practical sessions, remedial classes, and pre-board exams ahead of the final exams, the school administrations are chalking out plans to phase out the timing for different classes.
Sunil Kumar, principal of Jacobpura government school, noted that the school will most likely run two shifts — morning and evening — to avoid overcrowding at the campus. “Each class will be divided into different sections, with not more than 20 students in one classroom. We are already calling over 500 students of class IX to XII daily and if students of middle primary sections also start coming in then we would call students in two shifts to ensure physical distancing,” Kumar added.
Parents, however, are wary of the move. Besides terming the decision hasty and influenced by private school lobbies, the parents have expressed apprehension over the government SOPs.
“We don’t understand the urgency to reopen the schools for primary and secondary classes. We are heading towards normalcy but that doesn’t mean throwing caution out of the window. The government should first complete the vaccination drive and the ratio of active cases should further come down. Only then, the parents would be comfortable sending their children back. From all the parents I know, nobody is going to send their kids to the schools,” said Pradeep Rawat, co-founder of Gurugram Parents’ Association.
Parents have also complained of the mandatory requirement of the medical fitness certificate and expressed apprehension over the process. They have demanded that the schools and the government must organise camps at the school campuses or the condominiums with the help of the RWAs.
Schools, however, have assured assistance. Ryan International School claimed that they held a medical camp to help students of class IX to XII to get tested for the Covid before going back to the schools. Similarly, other schools have argued that they’ve suggested the government to let parents give an undertaking that neither their ward nor anybody in the family is facing any Covid-related symptoms.
“Last week, we organised a free test camp in collaboration with a team from the community healthcare centre in Bhondsi to facilitate the students of classes X and XII who are expected to present a Covid test report before appearing for pre-board exams. All the parents of other grades too were informed about the camp so that they could avail the facility too. Parents are right about their concerns over visiting hospitals or primary health centres for the tests. But, schools can assist them by taking solution-oriented initiatives,” said Peeya Sharma, principal of Ryan International School.