New Delhi: As excited children queued up at their school gates for thermal scanning, their parents stood anxiously watching them — happy that schools are open again but concerned about how strictly Covid appropriate behaviour can be followed in classrooms.
Schools for primary classes and younger secondary students reopened in the Capital on Monday after almost two years of being shut with teachers happy to have children fill their classrooms and at the same time mindful of the responsibility they have of ensuring all rules are followed along with making sure kids feel at home.
While the younger students did return to schools briefly last December, they were quickly sent back home after another shutdown triggered by the severe air pollution at the time and then by the third wave of the pandemic.
But even schools run by the Delhi government and the civic bodies alike welcomed students back with playtime, song and dance, at least in Delhi government schools, many kids did not turn up — their parents still not confident it would
be safe.
"Most parents had genuine reasons for not sending their child. Either they were unwell or were not in city," Principal of Rajkiya Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Patparganj Dr L.K. Dubey said.
But many parents also expressed concerns. "I will wait and see how the classes are going and whether it is safe to send or not only then I will send my son," Pallavi, mother to a 13-year-old girl, said.
Aryan, a Class 5 student at SDMC school in Shanti Nagar, said, "I'm happy schools are reopening and I'll get to meet friends. We have been asked to wear masks and carry sanitisers. I'm excited but I had to wake up at 6:30 am to reach school. That is the only downside."
"I'm happy that I'll be sitting in class, not at home. I'm feeling good and I hope schools don't close again," said another student Piyush.
Parents who did choose to send their children back to schools also heaved a sigh of relief. "My child was in class 2 when COVID-19 started and now he is in class 5. Covid has impacted studies and it is good that schools are reopening. I hope students stay safe and study well," said Reena, a mother of two.
"The focus on current classes is on memory games, interactive sessions to reconnect with children, games, singing songs and rhymes, after which classes will focus on learning how to read and write," Dubey said, which MCD schools said they are too focusing on similar activities to re-acclimatise students to the classroom-environment.
MCD officials insisted that attendance was high among all classes, adding that teachers had decorated their classrooms. In North Delhi's MCD schools, officials said 13,700 children returned and both South and East MCDs said they saw 10,000 kids come back to schools on Monday.
Poonam Yadav, who teaches class 3, said, "All students are very excited, we are also excited. Now, approximately, two years have passed but the basics of children are not very clear because they have been not coming to school. Several students have been attending classes from their hometowns and many haven't returned. We are contacting them."
"We are hoping students will return soon. It will take time to return to pre-Covid normalcy. We are expecting 50 per cent attendance from today," the teacher said.
(With inputs from Aaisha Sabir, Satvika Mahajan)