BELAGAVI: Coming under pressure from parents to restart classes and the Karnataka government yet to make a decision, nearly 2,000 private schools in Karnataka’s rural areas welcomed Class 1 to 5 children back to their campus on Wednesday.
Since the third week of November, the Karnataka government has given permission to incrementally reopen classes, starting with postgraduate and professional courses. The government’s Vidyagama programme – a reachout initative for students – has also resumed after it was suspended in October over fears of Covid infection spreading among students and faculty. However, the government has not made any decision yet on restarting lower grades.
Parents were worried about kids forgetting reading skills
The schools were closed in the second week of March after the outbreak of Covid-19.
After a string of meetings with stakeholders and parents, the Recognised Unaided Private Schools’ Association (Rupsa) on Tuesday decided to throw open the doors of schools for all students. Udupi, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru and Ballari, among other districts, reported students returning to schools in good numbers. The student turnout is expected to improve in the coming days. The association has about 10,000 member-schools.
Rupsa president Lokesh Talikatte told TOI that parents were asking school managements about the delay in reopening schools even after the number of Covid cases was on a downward trajectory in the past six weeks. “Hence, we decided to open the schools,” he added.
Sources said parents were becoming increasingly worried about children forgetting essential reading skills. A parent from T Narsipura taluk in Mysuru district said that it was tough to strike a balance between taking care of children who are at home all through the day and working in a textile factory. She said, “The association’s decision is commendable. I leave home for the factory at 7am and return by 7pm. It’s good that children are safe in school and learning directly under teachers’ guidance.”
VP Niranjanaradhya, an education expert, welcomed RUPSA’s decision, saying it was in the larger interest of student community. He said, “The state government must seriously consider reopening classes by February 1. Any more delay means children are being denied right to education.”