Despite the fact that covid cases are at an all-time high in Maharashtra, there are still certain areas with a negligible number of covid cases. Parents, teachers, and students from around the state are urging the government to reopen schools and institutions on a district-district basis. Students have lost nearly two years of study and online learning has its own set of constraints. Many remote region schools are suffering because basic amenities are not available.
Education professionals from around the state believe that the move to close schools and colleges will have an impact on students' academic lives. Many of them have lost touch with their core learning capacity and staying away from school is much more difficult for the younger age group. However, as the cases of cities such as Mumbai grows, the regulations must be followed.
Dr. Manisha Kayande, an MLC and spokesperson from Shivsena, who has been a professor for 35 years expressed, "Many teachers and schools are urging the government to reopen, and some parents are still concerned about sending their children to school, but many of them are now unsatisfied with online education. Staying at home as well as going out has become difficult, and this is a vicious cycle that must be stopped. Collective responsibility should be taken by all stakeholders, and I believe that schools and universities should resume. This is significantly disrupting students' academic lives. Although I am a member of the government, I have a strong feeling as a teacher that this situation must be changed."
Mr. Sanjayrao Tayade Patil, Founder President of the Maharashtra English School Trustee Association (MESTA), which represents over 18,000 schools from across the state, stated, "Wherever the cases are less, we are going to reopen our schools. We are waiting for the final decision till Monday, January 17th and then we will reopen. It's a necessity now as all their education has gone into vain.
Just because students can't boycott or fight for their rights, an unfair decision has been taken for them. Students are the ones who are suffering now. Soon elections will be conducted, malls, cinema halls are open, everyone is roaming around including kids, you can see them in markets and everywhere else, but schools are shut. There are very few casualties among children. For the last two to three months, we are in the process of adjusting kids, teachers, and schools working hard, but again schools are shut."
Shital Chavan, President of the Maharashtra Parents Association, stated, "Practically speaking, closure is required in areas where instances have grown; nevertheless, in other districts of Maharashtra, parents from rural areas are concerned about keeping their children at home for online learning. Many of them have indicated that leaving them alone is unsafe. Many of them continue to lack access to a good network of gadgets. When there is a lapse in education, students lose everything. Dropout rates, as well as child labour and marriages, are on the rise. Many of the students' lives will be risked as a result of these actions."
The decision has enraged not just parents and school officials, but also college students. Students have expressed their concerns over the re-closure of colleges. According to Tushar Dungarwal, a third-year journalism student, "The decision to close colleges may be safe for students, but it is not beneficial for our careers. Many students graduated or even passed their boards online last year. On what basis are we going to get jobs? There is a knowledge imbalance that online learning cannot solve. Practical knowledge is now needed."
Earlier, Minister of State Bachu Kadu stated that the situation in rural regions is much better, that there should be no difficulty beginning schools in remote areas, and that an application for the same will be submitted to the government.
