Kolkata: Schools look at open-air classes to keep kids, teachers safe in Covid times

KOLKATA: Move over air-conditioned classrooms, open-air classrooms are now in consideration.
As schools get ready to call their students back to the campus from November 16, a number of institutes in the city are thinking about holding a few classes in the open, considered safer than a closed environment in Covid times.

Schools re-opening after such a long gap will need several alterations to conventional teaching methods to get children to re-connect with their teachers, many of whom they had only seen on the screen for the past 20 months.
Schools, like La Martiniere for Girls, St James’, The Heritage School, BDMI and Sushila Birla Girls’ High School, have already planned outdoor sessions through the winter months. Heads of these schools said among the many lessons Covid had taught, the one about the need for being in the open as much as possible was important. They want their students to punctuate indoor classroom time with outdoor sunning.
“We just cannot start off classes in the formal and rigid mode and expect children to adapt automatically after so many months of online learning. We need to have re-connection time and I am working out the routine in such a way that teachers can take them out to the field, make them sit in a spaced circle and not only teach but also chat and melt the ice,” said Rupkatha Sarkar, principal at La Martiniere for Girls.
School heads said some theory classes, like history, English and second language, which might not need the board immediately, could be taken outside the conventional classroom space. “Children have to enjoy coming back to school and being outside with the teacher would definitely help them bond better. This will automatically promote health, too,” said Heritage School principal Seema Sapru.
In some schools, such as BDMI, chairs have been laid out in selected outdoor spots for both students and teachers. These are breezy zones, where children can sit and follow theory lectures, says principal Vijaya Chowdhury. At St James’ School, holding classes in the field had been quite a favourite activity for some teachers and students loved those sessions. “When we bring back our IX and XI in January, we will have more of these. The X and XII will come directly for their exams and so, they will not be free before January. But we are looking at a lot of outdoor classes when we re-start,” said principal T H Ireland.
Even hybrid class would not be a problem, schools said. Computers can be placed in such a way that teachers can show children on the screen, a slice of their school campus while taking the class. Sushila Birla Girls’ School will use whatever open space is there for outdoor sessions, said principal Koeli Dey.