Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, supporting the Centre's proposal to reopen schools, saying that if it is done with reasonable precaution, it would be a step in the right direction.
Making clear his government's intent to reopen schools in the capital in times of COVID, Sisodia said every child, irrespective of age and social class, has an equal right to physical and intellectual space of their respective schools. The move assumes significance in the wake of widespread concern among parents about sending their children to schools in the midst of the pandemic. Some parents' groups have launched campaigns opposing the proposal to reopen schools in July.
“The clamor for online teaching or older children coming to school first, and not the younger ones, should be put to rest,” Sisodia wrote, stressing that virtual mode of teaching can only complement the learning in school, not replace it. He also cautioned that no measures be suggested, which accords any primacy to children of secondary grades onwards, vis-a-vis, primary classes, saying learning across all states is important, whether it is about preparing for board exams or learning to read and write. This is important since there have been proposals that schools be reopened for secondary classes to begin with.
Sisodia further pointed out that “since we need to learn to live with coronavirus now, it would be better if the already existing learning space, which is school, takes up that role.”
He, however, said parents need to be taken into confidence and the risk factor involved, with facts, should be explained to them. In this regard, he also quoted an ICMR study, which says that the attack rate, or number of people affected per one lakh population, is lowest in the 0-9 age group.
