Goa expert panel gives nod for offline classes for I-VIII

PANAJI: The committee on Covid has decided to recommend to the state government to reopen schools for classes I to VIII. The final call will now be taken by the state task force.

Dr Shekhar Salkar, of the expert panel, said that paediatricians in the committee were overwhelmingly of the view that the situation is safe for younger children to return to school.
He said that hybrid mode — with a combination of online and offline sessions — may be adopted and it may be left to the education department and the school managements to work out the modalities based on the ground situation. Salkar said that since physical classes have begun for Class IX to XII, no increase in positivity rate in children has been seen.
“Today’s agenda was only one, on whether schools should start from Class I onwards. And the paediatricians, who were there, strongly felt that we should start. After discussing this, we have decided that we should recommend to the government that they should start classes from Class I onwards up to Class VIII. They should start by following proper Covid appropriate behaviour and the SOPs given by the education department,” Salkar told reporters.
He said the overall positivity rate for the state is presently below 1%.
“We have said hybrid mode. It is very important that it is left to the education department and the managements, how they can manage it. But from our side it is quite safe now considering this week the positivity rate is below 1%. So I think it is the right time to start,” Salkar said.
State epidemiologist Utkarsh Betodkar has told the committee the average rate of Covid-19 infection for children at 10% has remained constant even after Classes IX-XII started, he said.
Schools can open from Classes I to VIII even immediately, if the government so wishes, the expert committee member said.
“Once central government gives clearance, we can go all out and give vaccination first to children who have co-morbid conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity in the 12 to 18 age group. Our health director said we have got enough vaccine stock,” Salkar said.
He said that children as well as parents are seen to be suffering ‘psychologically’ due to schools remaining shut for such a long period.
“Psychologically children are suffering because they have not seen their friends. Parents are also suffering because they have to be at home to look after their children and with both the parents working it is difficult. In Bicholim, we had almost 40 primary school children whose parents were sending them to school saying that ‘you play with them or do whatever but take them in the school’,” Salkar said.
He said that it will be a challenge for schools to work out the modalities to make all classes from I to XII operational.
“The number of students will increase, but the number of classrooms will be the same. At present, only Class IX and X students were coming to school and the rest of the classes were empty. But now that Classes I to VIII will also start, how to do it will be a problem that will have to be solved by the education department and the managements,” Salkar said.
Since physical sessions for Class IX to XII resumed, the admission of children in hospitals primarily for Covid has been nil, he said.
“In fact cases are down since the time Classes IX to XII started. Most of the children who tested positive were those who had been brought for treatment for some other ailment. The admission for Covid itself is nil. Once classes resume for younger children and if there is some Covid infection in some school or cluster, we can advise the government based on the situation, maybe by shutting only that school. If the overall positivity in schools goes up then too we can guide the government in that regard,” Salkar said.
The fact that nearly all sectors have opened up in the state and the positivity rate is still low means that Covid situation is under control in Goa, the doctor said.
“Practically everything is open and with that also if the rate of positivity has come down that means Covid is under control. Not that we should be relaxed, we should follow all the Covid appropriate behaviour. We saw last year that despite the heavy rush in December-January, Covid cases did not increase, they increased in April, which means there was a mutation. So, we should wait, and if there are no mutations, we may escape a third wave. As of today, at least we feel there are no more mutations,” Salkar said.