Page 17 - EducationWorld June 2020

warns that if a large number of the caused by the cyclone, Banerjee, who
country’s private preschools are in the recent past has emerged as ar-
forced to shut down and lay off thou- guably the most adamant vocal critic
sands of teachers and support staff, of prime minister Narendra Modi
Indian education will suffer a severe and the BJP/NDA government at the
setback. “The temporary alternative Centre, had to swallow her pride and
to sending little children to brick- appeal to New Delhi for financial and
and-mortar preschools is to actively army/paramedical aid from the Cen-
engage them with brief one-hour tre. Responding to the widespread
video chats by qualified ECCE pro- damage caused by the cyclone, Modi
fessionals. This limited screen time visited Bengal on May 22, and follow-
option will ensure continuity of for- ing an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit
mal ECCE for the next few months. districts announced a Rs.1,000 crore
Preschools and anganwadi teach- relief and rehab package for Bengal
ers should also involve parents by and neighbouring Odisha, and also
prescribing activities which ensure deployed army personnel to clean up
joyful learning at home during these the mess.
stressful times,” says Popat Vats. Meanwhile on the eve of the eas-
This is good advice. It offers ing of national lockdown 1.0 with
anxious parents the option of considerable leeway given to state
restarting their youngest children’s governments, on May 30 Banerjee
preschool learning at home. Against announced that places of worship will
the backdrop of growing awareness reopen from June 1 and government, Bengal.
of the importance of professionally private and public sector companies ll these arrangements are being
administered ECCE, it offers a via will work with full complements of Aaccorded high importance be-
media between prolonged suspen- employees from June 8. However, the cause elections for West Bengal’s leg-
sion of early learning and the health state’s 95,000 government and nearly islative assembly are scheduled to be
risk of youngest children venturing 1,200 private schools will remain shut held next May (2021). As the race hots
to preschools until the Covid-19 till June 30, because of extensive dam- up, verbal clashes between the Ma-
crisis blows over. age caused to school buildings by the mata Banerjee-led government and
Akhila Damodaran (Bangalore) cyclone and also because schools are the BJP government at the Centre are
being used as quarantine centres for becoming more strident. With the pre-
WEST BENGAL migrant workers who have returned viously unheralded BJP having won 18
TMC trump card to the state. According to education out of 42 seats allotted to Bengal in the
Lok Sabha, Delhi, in General Election
minister Partha Chatterjee, once
schools reopen classes will be held 2019, the saffron party has emerged
hile all of india and the on alternate days for 50 percent of as the principal opposition in the state
world was fighting the Co- children to observe social distancing and its leadership is pulling out all
Wvid-19 pandemic, the east norms. stops to topple the TMC government
coast state of West Bengal (pop. 91 However class XII school-leaving which has the anti-incumbency disad-
million) which has reported a mod- exams will be held on June 29, July vantage of running for a third term.
est 5,772 Covid positive cases and 335 2 and July 6 as scheduled. The West Therefore on May 30, within nine
fatalities (June 1) was hit by a double Bengal Council of Higher Secondary days of Amphan visiting devastation
whammy. Supercyclone Amphan with Education has been asked to take all on the state, Banerjee made direct
wind speeds of 155-165 km per hour necessary precautions for staging bank transfers of Rs.20,000 to 5 lakh
ravaged the state claiming nearly 100 the exams in 1,058 centres across families who lost their homes. More-
lives and destroying the property of the state. “If necessary, the buildings over, 3 lakh farmers in these districts
10 million citizens in 14 of the state’s of some colleges can be used for the will get Rs.1,500 per acre as compen-
23 districts leaving behind uprooted higher secondary exams,” says Chat- sation for crop damage adding up to
trees, power cuts and prolonged water terjee who has left the decision of a total of Rs.6,250 crore released for
logging. According to chief minister resumption of campus activities of relief and rehabilitation work in nine
Mamata Banerjee, homes, crops, colleges and universities and date of districts of the state.
roads and infrastructure damage is holding final year semester exams to While the betting is against TMC
valued at Rs.1 lakh crore. the vice chancellors’ council compris- being returned to power in West Ben-
Dismayed by the scale of damage ing VCs of all 20 state universities in gal for the third consecutive term, the

JUNE 2020 EDUCATIONWORLD 17