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Schools reopen but health guidelines widely ignored

Published : Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 584

It is invigorating to note that school and college compounds across the country sprang into life once again as students stepped inside classrooms after 543 days of closure triggered by the pandemic. Many schools welcomed their students with roses, chocolates, pens and pencils and decorated campuses with festoons, balloons and motifs.

However, not all school authorities could ensure practicing of health safety protocols. Scores of guardians, particularly in the capital were seen crowding most school gates, indiscriminately flouting health safety guidelines. Even though the mass vaccination programme has re-commenced, but we must not forget up until yesterday the Covid situation took an upward trend with a positivity rate of 7.46 percent. Death and infection rates have not significantly come down as yet.

Against the backdrop of current reality, we suggest parents and guardians to drop-off students and leave the school premises, if possible. We don't deem it realistic that hundreds of guardians would freely mingle by following health safety guidelines. Moreover, other than the threat of Coronavirus, contracting Dengue is also a concern. With the end of summer, students should wear full-sleeve clothes and socks while attending classes. And school authorities must also relax the dress code since many students may have outgrown them.

We call on our school authorities at this initial stage of re-opening to ensure better classroom ventilation coupled with smaller class sizes. In addition, if a student or teacher is infected, it will be up to school management committee and health authorities to decide whether to shut down the whole school, single classes or impose quarantine on those directly involved.

Most importantly, school authorities will have to focus on four key pre-conditions - ensure effective risk-mitigation measures,  wearing face masks mandatory, protect children's mental and social well-being, and protect the most vulnerable and marginalized children. As for teachers, it is important for the health ministry and public hospitals to prioritize them in receiving vaccines the soonest. Our school authorities can also follow safer techniques and guidelines implemented by advanced Asian and European countries.

Last of all, It will be some time before we can put the pandemic behind us - but educating children safely in a physical school setting must remain our primary objective - so we don't rob them of the opportunities they so deserve.

It is therefore, vital that classroom-based learning continues uninterrupted across the country. This is of paramount importance for our children's education, mental health and social skills - for schools to help equip our children to be happy and productive members of society overcoming all challenges triggered by the pandemic.






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