Reopen Anganwadis and schools for junior classes: DCPCR chief to L-G Baijal

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights chairman Anurag Kundu has written to L-G Anil Baijal and urged him to issue necessary directions to reopen schools and anganwadis, citing learning loss and limitations of online education. Kundu has also suggested that classes Nursery to 8 can open at least two days a week and Anganwadis can open at least once a week in a staggered way in the wake of the improvement in the COVID-19 situation.

In the letter, he has also suggested random testing of students, school and anganwadi staff to ensure that even if there is any infection spread, it can be contained. Following a marked improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, the Delhi government had announced that schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions would reopen from September 1.

The Delhi government had clarified that no student would be forced to attend physical classes and the consent of parents would be mandatory. A decision regarding the reopening of schools for classes 6 to 8 in Delhi will be taken after the festival season, Baijal had said last month following a Delhi Disaster Management Authority meeting here.

Baijal is the chairman of the DDMA. Noting that the closure of schools is affecting nearly four million children in Delhi, Kundu said that the Covid infection spread has shown a remarkable decline and the cases have remained constantly under 40 for the past six weeks and most of the days have witnessed zero fatality in the past six weeks.