Some demand school reopening for lower grades, others oppose

BENGALURU: Stakeholders were divided on the reopening of Classes 9-12 from August 23 as announced by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday.Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School, said, “We are delighted. Finally, our campus will be filled with children. Classroom learning is important for children and it will also get them physically active again.”

Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School, said, “This is the first step in the right direction. We now look forward to the decision to bring back younger students.”Shashi Kumar, General Secretary, Associated Managements of Private Schools in Karnataka, said a thought must be given to opening primary schools as children are facing learning losses. 

Lokesh Talikatte, president, Registered Unaided Private Schools management Association (RUPSA), said they had earlier sought means to reestablish academic connect between students and schools. Educationist Dr Niranjanaradhya VP said the School Development and Monitoring Committee Coordination Forum said he was unable to understand the rationale of opening higher classes when many states were opening lower classes.

Meanwhile, a  parent and a member of Voice of Parents, said, “We are not bound by whatever the government decides. Especially on matters of kids’ safety, parents prefer to see other alternatives than forcing children to be a subject of the government’s experiment.”