Schools, parents welcome call but now major task to counsel returning children

New Delhi: Even as school heads and parents in the Capital expressed satisfaction with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's decision to reopen schools from next

week onwards, many sought to know why junior classes could also not be reopened with the same urgency.

School principals welcomed the decision and hoped there will be no further disruption in learning even as some school heads said that the major challenge facing them would be to arrange for counselling sessions for when students finally return to classrooms.

"Students are elated with the announcement of school opening from Monday for classes 9 to 12 and from February 14 for classes nursery to 8. We welcome the decision taken by DDMA today though it was much awaited by all the stake holders of school community. Finally children will be back to their second home. We expect that there would not be any disruption in learning further," said Sudha Acharya, Chairperson of the National Progressive School Conference (NPSC) that has 122 Delhi schools as its members.

The Action Committee of Unaided Private Schools said reopening of schools for classes 9-12 is welcomed but the decision is disappointing as well because "schools should have been reopened for all classes and all levels — irrespective of the vaccine status or any other factor".

Meanwhile, Anshu Mittal, the Principal at Rohini's MRG School said, "One of the most important aspects of school education is now going to be planning counselling sessions for both students and parents, as this transitioning lifestyle can get extremely perplexing most of the times. To hold meaningful discussions is also important, it is preferred to make small group of students for social interactions apart from the academics."

While Delhi government schools have already made provisions to counsel children returning to school after the long break, the curriculum in the schools also provides for Happiness classes, which will take into account the behavioural change caused

by the pandemic and adjust its teaching accordingly.

Millennium Post had earlier this month reported that the Education Department had already started planning for a February reopening, with officials now saying they are in a good position to prepare all schools for reopening by Monday.

Big relief: Gym owners

Meanwhile, as the DDMA also allowed gyms in the city to reopen, owners here heaved a sigh of relief and said that this would help around five lakh families survive the pandemic.

Delhi Gym Association, an umbrella body of a large number of gyms here said it had now become a fight for survival for them and they did not know how they would continue had this decision not been taken.

Several gym owners have since last week been demanding that their establishments be allowed to reopen and have also protested for it. This had comes after the DDMA had decided to reopen all economic activities — choosing to keep schools and gyms shut for another week.