Reopening schools is a matter of urgency !

Fear and doubt enter the mind faster than awareness and knowledge. We may fail to differentiate them until someone tries to talk about it.

In India, education remains the most debated topic now after the National Educational Policy got passed in the Union Cabinet. People are taking a stand for and against 3-Language Policy and there is more making news.

Few forward thinking individuals feels that everyone actually needs to ask how quick the school gates can be opened first. They argue that the risks children have to face is more than what they could face by going to school. Read on!

With proper intervention, schools can function:

A review published in The Lancet on April 2020 says that in previous epidemics, transmission in schools was very low or absent. Modelling studies for the COVID-19 pandemic predict that school closures would prevent only 2-4% of deaths – far less than other social distancing interventions.

With right safety measures in place, schools can reopen. In fact, they have. Denmark, Germany, France and New Zealand are countries where schools have been reopened for a while now.

Skip COVID, the Real Threats for children today are Absolute Freedom, Increased online presence and impact on Mental Health.

Threat #1 – Absolute freedom:

Inside the school, children get to spread their wings with the support of teachers. Their supervision and guidance are advantages. The routine they follow gives them sense of accountability.

The prolonged stay at home and the huge amount of freedom could affect the children’s mindset, make them lazy and even affect their character.

Threat #2 – Increased Online presence:

More than ever, children at home are being asked to use the internet for online-education. Their presence is noted by other entities that are looking out for them with malicious intent. A claim made by India Child Protection Fund states that an alarming rise in demand for child-porn material has been seen ever since the lockdown was enforced.

Beside this, a lot of popular multiple player mobile games demand access to files, data and storage. These games also have inbuilt chatrooms. This could be capitalized by such online predators who could manipulate children’s mind and ask them to share info or even explicit content. There is a risk that we don’t see. But it is present, no doubt.

Threat #3 – Impact on Mental Health:

Child Therapists and Psychologists have said that children’s mental health has been one of the biggest casualties during the lockdown.Not being able to understand the reason for her to stay away from school, a 6-year-old girl in Bengaluru is barely eating because she thinks her parents have punished her for the past 90 days.

A 15-year-old has been put under medication for panic attacks because his family time was spent watching news about latest COVID-19 cases. There are many cases where Children’s mind gets affected which we cannot see as easily as we can see their physical state.

How can opening schools fix these issues?

The virtual classes cannot emulate the fun, laughter and experience that a school classroom or a teacher could provide. A student meeting his friends, writing a creative content, engaging in face to face conversations, discussions and debates, the excitement of participating in different activities like sports and competitions all add color to their academics.

Reading from the Book for an hour or two does no harm to the eyes but the same cannot be said with digital displays. All students cannot afford online classes but classrooms are there for them all. We believe that classroom teaches the real essence of learning.

What schools and parents should do?

When the schools and parents are stern with safety norms, educate the little ones about the importance of wearing mask, social distancing and clean hands, the risks become reduced significantly.