Kerala child rights panel calls for focus on physical, mental issues of kids amidst reopening

At a time when the government is making elaborate arrangements for reopening of schools on November 1, the state child rights commission has called for an effective mechanism in schools that addresses the concerns of children, as the majority of whom are back to campuses after a 20-month gap. 

Commission chairperson KV Manoj Kumar made the recommendation while chairing a district-level meeting to assess the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act here on Saturday. The commission reminded that children are back to school after months of being kept away from social interactions and gatherings. 

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Hence, teachers and PTA members should also focus on resolving the physical and mental issues of children while addressing the infrastructure needs in schools. The General Education Department had recently brought out a set of general as well as academic guidelines ahead of school reopening. The commission said works should be carried out on a war footing to ensure that guidelines are strictly adhered to by all stakeholders. 

The meeting also assessed how the right of children to free and compulsory education as laid down in the RTE Act was being implemented in the state. Other topics discussed in the meeting included the safety of children and vehicles carrying them to school, functioning of school-level committees and revival of the school health programme. State child rights commission secretary Anitha Damodaran presided over the meeting.