Source: The Times of India
PUNE: Many experts and teachers in rural areas hope that the government allows reopening of schools in Covid-19-free villages to compensate for the academic loss. A study by the Pune District Institute of Education and Exercise has said that over 89% of parents and 94% of teachers believe that students have suffered learning losses due to the extended closing of schools in the state. While online classes are happening, issues such as access to devices and cellphone network have affected its reach, especially in rural areas. Even in urban areas like Pune, 43% of the students did not have access to online education. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has told the education department to examine the possibility of reopening schools in Covid-19 free villages at least for standards X and XII. Hiware Bazar gram panchayat, which was opened its school offline for senior classes on June 15, but was told to shut down earlier this week, has written to Thackeray for permission to reopen.
“We’ll initially explore the possibility of reopening class X and XII classrooms in villages where there have been no new cases in the last few months, provided they commit to Covid suitable behavior and adopt measures for keeping the virus at bay in future as well. The health and safety of our children remain our priority,” school education minister Varsha Gaikwad tweeted on Tuesday night.Also read: Admissions to entry level classes in Delhi govt schools will start on June 28
