The challenges schools are facing
Rupa Roy, the principal of Balmohan Vidyamandir, Dadar said a few teachers are yet to be fully vaccinated. “Besides, I also am worried about my students travelling. The biggest issue is if a single student contracts coronavirus from any family person or acquaintance and continues to attend school unknowingly.” She said offline classes for Class 8 are yet to start. “For students, coming to school is no more fun as they cannot sit close to their friends. Engaging children meaningfully is a challenge. Parents have given consent so that life can return to normal. However, there’s a new normal now,” she said.
Nikita Pimpale, principal of Rishi Valmiki Eco-school, Goregaon, and parent of a Class 8 student, said reopening is a good thing for the physical and emotional wellbeing of students. She said a majority of students are from economically weaker sections, so their parents lack online tools. “Putting down the protocols on paper is the easy part. It’s hard to implement. We don’t have space to accommodate students in classrooms as per safety protocols. The government should have considered these problems. Almost 15 per cent of parents of students in our schools have migrated to different places; they have been left in a lurch,” she said.
At Guru Nanak English High School, Andheri East, 90 per cent of students are back, though. Principal Taranjit Kaur Sethi said, “Right now we are calling all students of Classes 9 and 10, and only 50 per cent of students of Class 8 are called on rotational basis.” Even SVKM CNM School is working phase-wise. Principal Kavita Sanghvi said 263 of the 267 who gave consent are coming to school. After ensuring protocols, the manpower requirement would be doubled, she said. “But it’s gratifying to see our students back,” she added.
Sayali Dalvi, a teacher with a municipal school said hardly 45 per cent of students turned up at the school as their parents are sceptical. “Though social distancing, temperature checks and masks were diligently followed, everything was forgotten and students were seen sharing lunch boxes,” she said. Thakur Vidya Mandir High School and Junior College teacher Farhana Ashraf said parents still have apprehensions. “Without buses, though, office-going parents will find it difficult to manage in the coming days,” she said.
Farhana Ashraf, teacher at Thakur Vidya Mandir High School and Junior College, Thakur complex, said, "Parents still have apprehensions to send their children to school or not. Besides, the decision of government to reopen school was made suddenly as schools already scheduled the online exams dates for these classes. Besides, Government not allowing bus services to resume, therefore, office going parents will find it difficult to manage in coming days. Also since Diwali vacation is nearing so therefore the attendance of class will be less as of now but gradually will increase after vacation."
Hybrid model still needed
Rohit Bhatt, the CEO of Children's academy group of schools, Mumbai, said, "We had already announced our exams for higher classes, which are currently going on. Hence, we are not starting school until October 13. From October 13 we will first start offline classes for grade 10 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and classes for grade 9 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A week after that we will start classes for Grade 8. Hopefully, after Diwali, we would be able to start classes all six days for all three grades. Accommodating students following the Covid-19 safety protocol will not be a problem as we have already kept everything ready. We have not made it mandatory for the parents to send their wards for offline school and still, 60 per cent of parents have agreed to send their children to school. For the first 15 days, we will only teach four major subjects and gradually mostly after Diwali break will start teaching other subjects too. To accommodate all those students who cannot or do not wish to attend offline classes will continue the online classes from 7.30 am to 10 am. Offline classes will start from 11.30 am to 1 pm, where there will be remedial and revision classes like problem-solving, creative writing, etc. New things will continue to be taught on online platforms only for now. Before all this we have called for a school PTA meeting on Saturday to inform parents about our SoPs on maintaining hygiene, cleanliness and other safety protocols."
Rupa Roy, principal of Balmohan Vidyamandir, Dadar, said: "As of now the largest number are not coming to school in last two days, the attendance for grade 10 was around 20 students and 15 students for grade 9 on Monday and Tuesday. Hence we have to continue with the online classes, along with offline classes with the re-opening of physical schools. It is not only creating chaos ad confusion, but it is too much for our teachers, who have to travel from different parts of the city, conduct both online and offline classes to teach the same things. Teachers are struggling with all that."
Are parents willing to send their children to school?
Prasad Tulaskar, parent of a student of class 10 student at Sane Guruji school, Dadar, said, "Seventy of 95 parents of students of class 10 have agreed to send their children to the school. We have given them our consent to send out children to physical school as we realise that our students were not studying during an online class. However, after reopening school on October 4, the school has announced exams within 10 days – so schools will close down again from October 14 and exams will be conducted online. They have asked us to collect answer sheets on October 13 and stop sending kids to school from October 14. The re-opening of schools is just a farce. Why are they rushing to conduct exams? Let them attend physical classrooms first for a month or two then conduct exams."
Asgar Ali Merchant, parent of a class 9 student from a school in south Mumbai said: "As of now, close to 50 per cent of parents have given their consent on sending their children to school. The school has decided not to conduct offline classes every day but three days a week, for now, we were informed that they will wait to start the school for five days until they get consent from 75 per cent and above parents. However, our school and another school nearby have been threatening to not allow our children to appear for the exams until the fees are cleared. This is unfair. I request the education department to take action against such schools."
