The Delhi government will recommend the reopening of schools in the Capital in the Delhi Disaster Management Authority meeting on Thursday. Pandemic-induced school closures have not only affected children’s studies but also their mental health and it is important for the institutions to reopen, said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday.
Physical classes needed
He said that schools are being reopened in several countries and many Indian States. Stressing that online education can never replace physical classes, the Deputy CM said the government had closed schools when it was not safe for children, but excessive caution is now proving harmful. As COVID cases and positivity rate are on the decline in Delhi, he said it would not be prudent to keep children away from schools any longer.
“In the past two years, schoolchildren’s lives have been confined to their rooms. Instead of going to schools and spending time in playgrounds, all their activities are now only on mobile phones. During COVID, our priority was children’s safety. But since various researches have now found that COVID is not so harmful for kids, it is important to reopen the schools, as now is the time for exams and related preparations,” Mr. Sisodia said.
The Deputy CM met a delegation of parents which handed over a memorandum signed by more than 1,600 parents seeking reopening of schools.
