Stepping out in the winter chill and leaving the comfort of their homes did not deter the spirit of children heading back to school on Monday after yet another COVID-enforced closure.
As physical classes resumed for Classes IX-XII, students were excited to return to school with most of them having got the consent of their parents to attend classes.
Vaccination dose
Vivek De, a student of Class IX of a private school, was happy that he was finally heading back to school after taking his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“All my classmates have been vaccinated and we were waiting for classes to resume so that we could all meet in school. We have got used to attending online classes but it is not the same as actually going to school,” said Vivek.
Another student, Gita Bam, said the news of schools reopening was like music to her ears as she constantly faced Internet issues over the past two years.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday visited schools to take stock of preparations and interacted with the students and parents. He said that many activities have been planned in government schools so that students are able to move from online to offline mode of learning without any problems. He said that an overwhelming number of parents had given permission for their children to attend school and that the government would ensure that all schools follow COVID protocols and social distancing norms strictly.
Education hampered
“Children’s education has been hampered due to the COVID-induced school closure. We are concerned about the health of our children as well as their education. If schools don’t open now, a whole generation will move forward with a knowledge gap,” Mr. Sisodia said. He added that online classes helped to continue studies during the pandemic, but it can never be a replacement for the offline mode of learning.
“Last time, the experience after schools reopened was wonderful. The children and teachers in the schools were following all COVID protocols very well. I am sure that this time too all COVID protocols will be followed well in schools,” Mr. Sisoida said.
He said that almost all government teachers are already vaccinated and more than 95% of the children in the age group of 15 to 18 years have also been vaccinated. From February 14, schools will also reopen for students of nursery to Class VIII.
