Stating that some points mentioned in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) recently released by the Uttarakhand Government are impractical to follow in residential schools, the head of Principals Progressive Schools’ Association (PPSA), Prem Kashyap said that the representatives of such schools will meet the chief minister soon regarding the issue. The State Government has allowed the reopening of schools from November 2 for Classes X and Class XII and recently released SOPs for the smooth operation of residential and day schools. However, most of the management of residential schools are not happy with every direction of the government mentioned in SOP. “In our recent meeting, the heads of the private schools, especially of the residential schools expressed their concern over the point of the SOP in which it is mentioned that action will be taken under the Epidemic Act against those schools which would not abide by the given guidelines,” said Kashyap. According to him, it is unfair of the government to hold the schools responsible and punish the head if anything goes wrong in the current scenario. He questioned, “Does the government take action against the chief medical officer (CMO) if anybody presently dies in the government hospitals? Why only the schools are being treated this way when all we want to do is reopen schools for students while taking all the necessary precautions on the campus?” Moreover, Kashyap further stated that the schools had suggested to the administration to examine the school management and monitor the situation before the reopening of schools. He also questioned why the schools need to sign an affidavit if the government will conduct the inspection as per the SOP.
Besides, he said that the schools also disagreed to the point of separating children in boarding schools using partitions despite taking all the mandatory measures as it will make students insecure in residential schools where all the children live together like in a home.
Kashyap also said that the heads of residential schools have no intention of opening schools under these directions of the government. He also added that many parents are still reluctant to send their children to day schools and if it continues to be the same, they have no issue in reopening schools in January instead of November with the appropriate guidelines.
Meanwhile, Kashyap informed that the closed residential schools are affecting the livelihood of many in the State too. According to him, the residential schools receive a considerable sum in crores of rupees from residential students in the State which provides employment to various local businessmen too. “Parents of these students stay in hotels, visit tourist spots, go for Char Dham Yatra and do various other things every year that generates a considerable amount of revenue for the government. Therefore, the closing of residential schools is not just a loss of students and schools, it is also adversely affecting locals and the State government too,” stated Kashyap. He said that the association will write to CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and will meet him soon to present the said issues before him.
Tuesday, 27 October 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
