Karnataka government risking lives of students by reopening schools?
DSERT has prepared Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for reopening of schools in Karnataka. Even though the state government is yet to decide on reopening of schools anytime soon, parents are opposing the move and questioning if children’s lives are not equally important to that of politicians?
FollowBengaluru: The Department of School Education Research and Training (DSERT) has prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) for re-opening of schools in Karnataka.
Though the state government is yet to decide on the reopening of schools anytime soon, the DSERT has come up with the SOP on how to conduct classes, if at all the Centre allows reopening of schools for the current academic year 2020-21.
With rumours of the state government planning to re-open schools in October under the Unlock: 5.0 parents have begun panicking and questioning the state government.
The parents feel that children who will be attending schools during the pandemic are at high risk and may easily get infected.
Also read: Coronavirus: Karnataka records 7,509 COVID-19 recoveries on September 28
Speaking to Asianet Kannada parents questioned the government if they can cut down on the number of days for the assembly session because the politicians were at high risk of contracting the virus, then aren’t the children at high risk too?
The Karnataka government had shortened the monsoon session as few politicians are above the age of 60 and were at high risk.
Parents and teachers claim that just like senior politicians, children below the age of 10 are at high risk and can easily contract the virus.
Speaking to Asianet Kannada D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, said that several schools are getting ready with thermometers, hand sanitisers and oximeters.
“But it will be difficult to ensure social distancing or allow only 30-50 per cent in each class. Some schools do not have enough infrastructure to keep such small numbers in one class, and the students will be at high risk”.
