Why a lot of Gurugram parents do not want their children to return to school anytime soon

It has been six months since their children went to school. The schools were shut abruptly one fine day in March when the country had started to hear of COVID-19. However, while some states had decided to reopen their schools earlier this week, not a lot of parents are keen on sending their wards to school anytime soon. While Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are reopening schools outside containment zones for senior students, Haryana and Karnataka will allow their students to come to school for guidance.

Manisha Rekhi, a parent of a tenth grader in Gurugram, says that her son's school had conducted an online survey, where parents were asked if they were comfortable sending their children back to school. "Majority of the parents are not willing to send their children to school now," she says. The school authorities have now decided to keep the school shut until the first week of October.

"They will have to come back to us then again, to take a call," says Rekhi. At the same time, she says that her decision will not change even then. "Even if a child falls down and breaks their arm or leg while in school, the parents are immediately called to take them to the hospital. The school never takes responsibility. The situation right now is very scary. We do not know who is a potential carrier," she says. She adds that she will let her child continue with online classes until next year. At the same time, Rekhi is acquainted with parents who want their children to go back to school. "They say that the children are missing on peer interaction. To each their own," she says.

Pradeep Rawat, the founder of the Gurgaon Parents Association says that most of the parents who are part of the group do not want their children to go to school now. "Even the schools that reopened saw a very small per cent of students attending classes. We do not want our children to go to school until a vaccine is in place," he says.