As the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise thick and fast and with the additional threat of the Omicron variant looming large, the Education Ministry in Kerala has decided to be bold in the face of adversity and continue with offline classes for school children. Education Minister V Sivankutty made it clear that the state is not looking to close schools at the moment and that expert opinion will be sought if cases began to show a further upward trend.
He further added that the report of the Khader Committee on School Education Reform will be implemented in a timely manner. In light of this, Edex Live reached out to parents to know their reaction to this decision and what they felt about the situation in the state for their children. "Students have already lost the majority of two years of their schooling due to the pandemic. Due to the time lost this year, the schools are completing only 60 per cent of the syllabus for this academic year. If the medium shifts back to online, then even that number would be set to go down. This would mean that those preparing for higher studies and competitive exams would suffer a lot. The parents I know are also interested in classes continuing in offline mode," said Shibu P Chacko, President of the Parent Teacher Association at the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Ernakulam South.
On whether the rising cases spell concern for parents of students, Shibu, himself a father of two children, added "I don't think so as the parents and students have faced it for too long now. They have reconciled with it, I feel. If the situation continues wherein we stay indoors all the time, the entire social structure will be disrupted." He also stated the importance of not panicking due to the rise in COVID numbers and that the need of the hour is to observe all appropriate protocols and stay alert.
"Compared to online classes, physical sessions are far more beneficial for children. I have personally seen the kind of frustration and lack of concentration that comes along with offline classes. If the cases rise beyond any control, then maybe we could start online classes once again. But until that time, I personally feel that school in normal mode should continue," said CM Suneer, a father of two children who are studying in grades nine and twelve.
