Maharashtra: ‘School hours will be
shortened, only one student will be permitted per desk’
Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit coronavirus
state, is keen to reopen schools gradually from June 15 onwards. State’s School
Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad speaks to The Indian Express on the plans,
safety measures and new SOPs. Excerpts:
Written by Sandeep A Ashar | Mumbai |
Updated: May 24, 2020
What is your plan regarding the reopening
of schools?
We’re examining the option of gradually
reopening schools from June 15 onwards, but a lot will depend on the clearance
from the Union Home Ministry. The reopening can be done in a phased manner.
Schools outside containment zones in non-red zones can open first. For non-red zones
in Vidharbha, the proposal is to reopen schools from June 26 onwards. But we
will first take several steps to maintain a safe environment for the students
when they return to school. While schools have switched to e-learning in the
big cities, our bigger concern at the moment is continuity of education of poor
children from rural and tribal areas who do not have access to a smartphone or
live in areas without internet connectivity. Classroom lessons are vital for
them.
But some of the campuses are being used as
Covid-19 quarantine facilities?
We’re compiling a list of all such
campuses. The district Collectors and Chief Executive Officers of zilla
parishads are helping us with it. Obviously, they can’t be put to use
immediately. We won’t reopen any school before undertaking a proper
disinfection in even those that are not being used for Covid-19 measures.
What about schools in Mumbai, other red
zones?
They may have to wait longer. We’re
closely monitoring the situation but the situation needs to improve a great
deal before we can plan the reopening of schools in Mumbai. While the schools
remain closed, our teachers are doing their best to make sure the students do
not miss out on lessons. We are running an hour-long televised show on DD
Sahyadri, Balbharti has also designed customised e-learning solutions, schools
have switched online. But one thing’s for sure.
E-learning cannot entirely replace
classroom experience. Young kids, especially, find it difficult to grasp
lessons online. But we are planning to appoint teachers to follow up regularly
with the parents to check how they are coping with it. We’re also exchanging
notes with other states.
Will reopening make children vulnerable?
Incidence among children has so far been
lower as compared to adults, but we do not intend to take any chances. The plan
is to reopen the schools slowly in a manner that lowers the risk for the
children and the teachers. We are formulating new SOPs for schools. Schools
will have to follow strict hygiene guidelines and social distancing will have
to be maintained at all cost.
What will a post-Covid school look like?
Maintaining a physical distance between
students at all times will be key. We’re discussing running of classes in two
shifts or calling one batch of students every alternate day. School hours will
be shortened. Only one student will be permitted to sit on one desk. There will
be no morning assemblies or sporting activities. Parents won’t be permitted
inside school complexes. Teachers who have cold, cough or fever will be given
the day off. There will be a strict hand hygiene routine for students. Toilets
will be cleaned twice daily. Classes will be disinfected every day. We’re also
examining the option of holding outdoor classes wherever possible. The
feasibility of identifying spaces within educational complexes to separate and
nurse students, teachers and staff who fall sick will be explored. The Diwali
vacation calender may be shortened to make up for lost time.
How do you convince parents to send their
children to school?
I’m aware that any announcement regarding
the reopening of schools may meet some resistance. It’s not unexpected. That’s
why we are planning to involve parents and teachers in the decision-making
process. Next week, I’ll be holding an interaction with the parents to hear
their suggestions and objections to the idea. We may even conduct a snap
survey. Attendance to school might not be compulsory to start with.
How do you pull back children who have
gone back to their native places? How do you minimise dropouts?
We’ll need to be more pragmatic. Not
everyone who has gone to their native place will return immediately. So we are
instead planning tie-ups with the local administrations to ensure that the
children of migrants who have travelled back to their native villages within
the state can be accommodated in local schools in that area. A more challenging
response would be for children of migrants from other states.
We plan to map all such cases too. School
managements will be asked to make sure that they continue to receive education,
either by way of online classes or by their accommodation in schools in their
respective states.
The lockdown has impacted both the
schedule and paper assessment work of SSC and HSC board exams. Students are now
worried about college admissions. What are the plans?
The future of more than 16 lakh children
who appeared for their SSC exams, and another 12 lakh, who sat for the HSC
exams, is at stake. Despite facing several issues, our teachers and my
department’s staff are doing their best to announce the results as quickly as
possible. We’ve allowed teachers to travel for assessment-related work.
Moderators have also been permitted to carry answer papers home.
Normally, HSC results come out by the end
of May, while the SSC results are out by June 10 or so. Our efforts will be to
ensure that the results are out by the third week of June. Our aim is to
complete the FYJC admission process, which is online, by July end.
Source : https://indianexpress.com
