Amid Covid surge, mask must for pupils in many Patna schools

By: Nidhi Kumari
PATNA: Amid surge in Covid cases in the state, schools in the city have taken several measures to protect students as classes have resumed after summer vacation.
“We are taking cold and cough very seriously. Parents have been asked not to send their wards to the school if they are sick,” said Vishakha Sinha, headmistress (primary wing), St Michael’s High School.
Mary Alphonso, principal of Don Bosco Academy, said Covid protocols like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing were being followed at the school. “Different timings have been slotted for recesses for different classes to avoid rush,” she added.
Bishop Scott Senior Secondary Girl’s School has also made wearing of masks mandatory for students, teachers and staff. “School buses and classrooms are properly sanitized to keep the virus at bay. There is no plan to hold online classes as of now. Students and their parents are also not comfortable with online classes,” said a senior school official.
As online classes in the first three waves of the pandemic led to learning loss and technical hindrances for students, they are in favour of continuation of offline classes. “Frequent disruptions in online classes due to network issues break the flow of studies,” said Aditya Kishor Singh, a Class IX student of Litera Valley School.
Parents too prefer offline classes for their wards. They find offline classes to be more fruitful and interactive for their children. “Children don’t study well in online mode,” said Anjali Sinha, whose son studies in Class XI at St Xavier’s High School.