Monday 11, 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Despite the Uttarakhand Government’s approval to resume the primary schools for students of class I to V three weeks ago, many parents are still reluctant to send their children to schools. Many said that they will send the children for physical classes only when the government starts Covid-19 vaccination for children as they do not want to risk their children’s life. However, the president of the Principals Progressive Schools’ Association (PPSA) Prem Kashyap said that the schools have been taking all the precautions against Covid as per the government orders and parents should encourage children to go to school. “Most of the students of primary classes enjoy going to school. I have seen young students talking about how much they missed each other and the classes. It is a very delicate and crucial stage for them to learn and evolve academically as well as personally,” stated Kashyap. He said that in most of the schools in Dehradun, 70 per cent of primary class students are arriving regularly. “Some schools are also teaching 90 per cent of primary class students in their classrooms rather than online. Teaching virtually cannot be a permanent mode to provide proper education to children. l appeal to the parents to send their children to schools,” stated Kashyap.
However, the president of the National Association for Parents and Student Rights (NAPSR) Arif Khan said that it is foolish to expect little children to follow Covid guidelines. He stated, “Parents are not going to send their little children to schools just because the government made guidelines to stay safe from Covid. Children who are currently in class I will not know how to wear masks or maintain social distancing because s/he has been indoors for about two years now. How can we expect them to not play or interact with other children? A teacher told me recently that she constantly tells the primary class students to cover their nose with their mask but they again bring it down to their lips or chin. It is not easy to make them follow the guidelines.” The president of Uttarakhand Abhibhavak Sangh (UAS), Ram Kumar Singhal also said that about 60 per cent of parents are sending their children to schools but others will follow them only after the vaccination.
