The Karnataka state government have decided to reopen primary schools from 1st to 5th standard. On Monday Karnataka authorities announced that the reopen of primary schools from 1st to 5th standard across Karnataka from October 25, after a huge gap of one and a half years when they were shut in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. The government said the schools will be allowed to reopen physical classes while strictly adhering to Covid-19 appropriate behavior and standard operating procedures.
1) classes might be held with 50% of the seating capability of the classroom.
2) have to guarantee the supply of hand sanitizers and bodily distancing of one-meter.
3)Students need to carry a letter of consent from their parents to attend classes.
4)Teachers over 50 years of age have to use face shields.
5)Online mode of schooling will continue for students who do not want to attend physical
classes.
Teachers and employees who’ve been vaccinated with two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine might be allowed in classes 1 to 5.
Nagesh said that considering the psychological challenges faced by children due to the prolonged closure of schools, classes will be held with all the safe measures.
“While classes will be held for half a day during the first week, full-day classes will be held from November 1,” the minister said.
The government has clarified that attendance for offline classes is not mandatory. Schools have to offer both offline and online options and the parents can choose between them.
In Bangalore several schools have discontinued online classes and discussed with students parents.
The government is yet to decide on kindergarten and Montessori schools. The minister said that the department will discuss
these schools after a month. “Anganwadi centres are functioning on alternate days, but we have not taken any decision about opening schools for LKG and UKG. We will discuss this with the TAC after a month and decide accordingly,” the minister stated. Nagesh said, “We have received many complaints, but when inquired, the schools say they have 80% attendance for offline classes and conducting both the modes is not possible with the limited resources. “
Schools in Karnataka reopened for classes 9 to 12 on August 23 and classes 6 to 8 on September 6. On September 11, Karnataka primary and secondary education minister BC Nagesh said the government was holding discussion with the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee on the issue of reopening schools for primary classes.
Parents feel it is important for younger children to return to campuses and interact with friends and teachers and also they must learn new things, With schools functioning from home for more than a year now, parents say their little ones are speaking like adults and may lose a lot of their childhood.
Most of the parents are Unwilling to send their children to school. These schools, mostly accredited to CBSE and ICSE, say parents are happy to continue with the present system of online classes.
School managements say parents fear their children could contract Covid-19, especially with experts suggesting a third wave is more easily get affected to children. Schools also say managing both online and regular classes are a very difficult proposition. “Parents are unwilling to send their children,” said M Srinivasan, founder, GEAR Innovative International. “They want all other parents involved and staff of the school to be vaccinated. They may change their mind once all adults concerned are vaccinated. In many schools, teachers’ families are not vaccinated. In our school we have ensured families of staff are also inoculated. We need to observe the mood of parents closely. In our school, only around 11% of students are willing to attend
classes.”
At present situation CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends 12 year old children to get covid-19 vaccination to get protected against covid-19 due to the spread of covid-19 children from 12 year and older than are able to get there Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccine and also vaccination can be afforded in the local pharmacies or websites.
Since, covid-19 affected all the individuals, it also affected students life . Playing kids were not able to play, parents couldn’t control there Children . Children faced mental illness staying in house, they were addicted to phone.
Parents must teach there children how to follow the safety measures and next in school, so that the children will be far from the viral this disease.
Written By :Jennifer (Internship Trainee)