Page 26 - EW December 2020

Education News

University Rankings) league tables in Sweden. Even
of QS and Times Higher Education, in Wuhan (China)
the globally respected London-based — the fons et
HEIs ranking agencies. NB. The Peo- origo of the
ple’s Republic of China has five. novel corona-
Dipta Joshi (Mumbai) virus pandemic
— schools have
KARNATAKA been functional
Educators since September.
The experience
exasperation of these coun-
tries indicates
that when
here is mounting exasperation safety protocols —
among educationists in the Education minister Suresh Kumar: repeated postponements masks, premises
Tstate over the BJP govern- sanitation, social
ment’s repeated postponement of percent of high-end private schools distancing, alternate days schooling
the date for reopening education have smoothly switched to on- etc — are observed, children are safer
institutions for fear of children and line classes, children in the state’s in schools than at home 24X7.
students contracting the Covid-19 48,000 under-resourced government “Schools — especially government
virus. On November 23, primary primaries are experiencing severe schools in rural areas, which have
and secondary education minister S. deprivation of learning, as also free- very poor digital connectivity —
Suresh Kumar announced yet an- of-charge mid-day meals served in should be reopened at once, subject
other reopening date postponement all government schools. to compliance with safety protocols.
of preschools, primary, secondary According to a study titled Myths Fear for children’s safety must be
and higher secondary schools which of Online Education conducted in balanced against the heavy price that
were scheduled to restart in-campus September by the Bengaluru-based they are paying by way of malnutri-
classes on December 1. This is the Azim Premji University in five states tion and loss of learning. The state
third time the schools reopening date (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Raj- government should consult with
has been deferred at the last minute. asthan, Uttarakhand and Karnataka), knowledgeable education leaders
With the number of Covid-19 the majority of teachers and parents and follow their advice rather than
positive cases and fatalities fall- find online teaching inadequate issue arbitrary diktats. It needs to
ing sharply across the state — daily and ineffective. The survey which learn to practice real democracy,”
infections have fallen from a peak covered 1,522 government schools says M.R. Srinivasan, director-
of 10,947 on October 7 to 998 on in 26 districts, indicates that over principal of the highly-respected
November 30 and fatalities from 113 60 percent of children can’t access GEAR Innovative School, Bengaluru,
to 13 — and retail markets, cinemas, online education because of poor and president of the Association of
bars, restaurants and colleges and Internet connectivity and/or lack of CBSE Schools of Karnataka.
universities back to doing busi- digital devices. Besides highlighting That’s good advice but unlikely to
ness — albeit with prescribed safety the widening digital divide between be heeded by the state’s politicians
protocols — there’s rising exaspera- the upper, middle and other classes, for whom education is a low-priority
tion within the educators community the study says that 70 percent of par- subject.
over schools remaining shuttered. ents believe that online education is Bandana Brahmin (Bengaluru)
According to reliable sources ineffective and 90 percent are willing
within the state’s BJP government, to send their children back to school, TAMIL NADU
the education ministry is in favour of subject to their managements follow- Treading warily
restarting schools, but health minis- ing elementary safety precautions.
try is against it. The state’s Covid-19 In this connection, despite a
Technical Advisory Committee has second surge in Covid cases, most he aiadmk-led state government
clarified that the thin attendance in European countries (Germany, has bit the bullet and reopened
undergrad colleges which reopened Ireland, France, England) have ex- Tin-campus classes in higher
on November 17, has influenced empted preschools and schools from education institutions (HEIs) on De-
the government’s decision to keep lockdown rules. Denmark reopened cember 7. The reopening order issued
schools shut until New Year. schools in April after a month-long under the Disaster Management Act,
Meanwhile although the top 10 lockdown while schools never closed 2005, is restricted to final-year under-

26 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2020