Page 18 - Education World September 2021

Education News

NEP 2020 is to upgrade higher ed maintenance costs, the resumption of
curriculums and prepare our gradu- in-school classes promises improved
ates for employment in a rapidly cash flows. Therefore, some of them
evolving 21st century economy. If are pulling out all stops to make their
there are teething problems during campuses safe.
the first year, we will overcome them “We have stocked masks and sa-
keeping students’ best interests in nitisers in the school with teachers
mind,” says Ashwath Narayan, a instructed to sensitise students about
graduate of the Kasturba Medical the importance of masking. Besides,
College, Manipal and Karnataka’s in our classrooms we have ensured 6
former deputy chief minister. ft distancing between benches with
Coincidently, Karnataka’s next only 20 students per classroom. Stu-
legislative election is due to be held dents have also been advised not to
within the next 15 months. Academ- share their lunch meals. To ensure
ics in Bengaluru — Karnataka’s ad- that online classes for elementary
min capital — believe that the BJP’s school students are not hampered,
haste to implement NEP 2020 is not we have provided wi-fi connection at
unconnected with this schedule. school for teachers to conduct online
Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) classes. Further, we have not resumed
the school bus service as maintaining
TAMIL NADU social distance is a challenge on board
Cautious reopening buses,” says S. Bhagavath, corre- For children from low-income ur-
spondent at the private independent
Bharath Advanced Higher Secondary ban households and rural students
nder lockdown to check the School near Nagercoil in Kanyaku- with Internet connectivity and digi-
spread of the Covid-19 pan- mari district, which has 500 students tal devices deficits, the newly elected
Udemic for over one year, Tamil and 39 teachers on its muster rolls. DMK government’s schools restart
Nadu’s 37,500 government schools After the lockdown of schools coun- order has come as a huge relief. “For
and 12,000 unaided private schools trywide for almost 60 weeks — the students in rural areas leveraging
resumed on-campus teaching-learn- longest schools lockdown worldwide technology has been an 18 months-
ing for classes IX-XII on September — Tamil Nadu’s children are eager to long headache generating huge loss
1 subject to maintaining strict Covid return to in-school classes with some of learning. I run a pharmacy in Sa-
protocols and 50 percent capacity, i.e, institutions reporting 94 percent at- lem district and a day prior to schools
alternate days attendance. Currently, tendance. However, such back-to- reopening, our sale of masks shot up
4.5 million children are enrolled in school enthusiasm has created unfore- to 1,000 daily as against 100 daily dur-
senior and higher secondary classes seen problems for some institutional ing the lockdown. Parents are happily
statewide. Although no student is managements. buying masks, sanitisers and gloves
forced to attend in-school classes be- “We have 2,000 senior and higher and eager for children to resume con-
cause the online option is available, secondary students. As per the gov- ventional classes. The general belief is
with a third pandemic wave immi- ernment order, we can accommodate that classroom learning has to resume
nent, public opinion on the issue of only 20 students in one classroom. On with strict safety protocols in the best
starting classroom teaching is divided. day one of reopening 94 percent of our interest of students,” says Senthil
The state government order of students attended, forcing us to intro- Kumar, whose niece is “happily at-
August 6, permitted government and duce a shift system alternating Tamil tending” class IX in-school education.
private schools to resume in-class and English medium students in class- Although the elite and upper mid-
teaching-learning for senior school es IX and XI. For children preparing dle class tend to be wary about send-
and higher secondary students be- for board exams — classes X and XII ing children back to school campuses
cause the number of Covid positive — daily classroom attendance is man- until a children’s vaccine becomes
cases in Tamil Nadu has fallen from a datory. We have to see how this sys- available and more so because their
peak of more than 3.13 lakh to 16,478 tem works and are ready to change the homes are wired for digital learning,
currently (September 2). Despite this, programme if necessary,” says an as- the new DMK government has won
parental consent is mandatory. sistant headmistress at the state-aided appreciation of the majority of parents
For private school managements St. Joseph’s Convent Higher Second- who lack digital infrastructure and
suffering the load of unpaid tuition ary School, Nagercoil, who preferred learning from home facilities. They
fees while stuck with high campus to remain anonymous. are well aware that the learning loss

18 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2021