Over 2 Lakh Parents Sign Petition Opposing Prospects Of Reopening Schools In July

Over 2.2 lakh parents signed a petition opposing the reopening of educational institutions in July under 'Unlock 3'.

(Representational Photo: Getty Image)

New Delhi: More than 2 lakh parents have signed a petition addressed to the central government, asking for schools to not be opened till the Coronavirus situation improves for the better or till its vaccine is available. "Opening of schools in July will be the worst decision by the government. It's like playing with fire when we ought to douse it with full force. The current academic session should continue in e-learning mode," it said. "If the schools claim that they are doing a good job via virtual learning, then why not continue it for the rest of the academic year," the petition submitted to the central government said. About 2.12 lakh parents across the country have vehemently opposed the move after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the plan to Unlock gradually. The MHA's order on Saturday revealed that they plan to decide on reopening educational institutions in 'Unlock 3'. All such institutions have been closed from when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March. The union government will discuss the situation with states and union territories before doing so. "State governments and UT administrations may hold consultations at the institution level with parents and other stakeholders. Based on the feedback, a decision on reopening of these institutions will be taken in the month of July 2020," the Home Ministry said in a statement. Even though the MHA's order stated that the decision will be taken based on the feedback received, parents and guardians seem to be panicked about the prospects of sending children back to school when the Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the country. "At home, we can take several precautions but how will we ensure that when kids go to school? Lunch breaks, school buses, everywhere there will be fear. At a time when cases are rising, it's not a wise thing to do," Swati Bhardwaj, mother of a seven-year-old child, said. Gurgaon resident Mayank Mehra said, "When the lockdown was announced neither teachers nor students or parents were prepared for the technological intervention but now in two months some ground has been made and it can be smoothly pursued for a few months till the situation is normal.” Boards like CBSE & ICSE have released the dates for conducting pending board examinations while giving students the option to change their exam centre as many had travelled back to their hometown after the lockdown was imposed. The principal of Modern Public School Shalimar Bagh, Alka Kapur, said the school will give both the options to students. "We have to be more than careful to ensure the safety and security of our students and teachers. For this purpose, we've decided to take several precautionary measures. We have decided to operate the school in two separate batches to reduce the number of students attending the school at a time," she said. While assuring that suitable arrangements have been made for protecting students amid the Coronavirus health risk, she said that even if parents are not open to sending their child back to classrooms. The school will ensure that they get to attend online classes so that no one lags behind. According to the WHO coronavirus tracker, India is reported to be the seventh worst-hit country by the Covid-19 pandemic after the US, Brazil, Russia, the UK, Spain and Italy. (With Agency Inputs) WATCH: Schools to reopen after June 13, if all goes well: MP CM Shivraj