New Delhi: Schools in Delhi-NCR have swung into action following a spike in the number of COVID cases and are taking several measures, including frequent sanitisation, to minimize the spread of the virus and thus avoid closing the premises.
Other measures being taken by schools include closing a particular classroom when someone tests positive and advising parents not to send their children without masks.
However, all of them say that further closure of schools is not a solution.
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According to Shubhi Soni, Head of The Shri Ram Wonder Years, Rohini, Coronavirus will never go away but the frenzy around it will end.
“This will reduce to an endemic, influenza and seasonal flu in the coming years. The government’s decision to make wearing masks optional in public places is the reason behind the current spike in COVID cases.
“We should not wait for the situation to worsen and strict protocols should be implemented in full swing without any delay to control the situation,” Soni said.
He said the parenting community would panic if their child’s health was affected.
“In such a scenario, the move should be to allow a blended approach to learning, which is to introduce three days of offline schooling and two days of online schooling in a staggered manner.
“School closure is, by no means, a solution because students have fallen behind in learning and this has taken a toll on their social and emotional well-being,” she said.
The number of school students testing positive is rising in the city, raising concerns among parents. The Delhi government has asked school authorities to shut down specific wing or classrooms wherever needed.
Anshu Mittal, Principal, MRG School, Rohini said that they are taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as continuous cleaning and disinfecting of classrooms, practicing physical distancing, staggered dilation and make use of open spaces for activities.
“Maintaining close monitoring to ensure the good health of students and staff administration is our top priority. Wellness staff headed by a counselor is always there to address the concerns of the parents and look after their mental, emotional and physical well being remains available. learners.
“We, as responsible citizens, should find out the veracity of the news and believe only the facts. We should not fall prey to fake information as it creates fear among the stakeholders and the society in general. As of now, I hope that no schools are closed and we are able to provide continuous and qualitative education to our students.”
Shri Ram Millennium School in Noida has decided that if three students in a section test positive for COVID in quick succession, the section will switch to online classes.
“If a student or teacher tests positive and has been in school, a notification is sent to the class group. If the child uses the bus, the information is also sent to the bus users of the route that student received. For pool students, the information is sent to the relevant group. Please be informed that the information is shared only when the school receives a confirmed diagnosis and laboratory report of a student or teacher testing positive,” the school said in an advisory. said.
“If a student or employee tests positive, he/she should not go to school and return only after recovery. A negative RTPCR report has to be submitted to the school before they re-join.
“If the student has a sibling in the school, the sibling is also required to stay away from school for a week until the student recovers. The member will have to maintain quarantine for seven working days,” it added.
According to Alka Kapoor, principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, closing the entire school is no longer an option.
“So far the situation is not very alarming and we are taking all possible precautions to avoid another phase of the shutdown. But, if the government takes such a decision, we will have to respond positively.
“All students and entire staff must wear face masks and follow the rules given by schools and the government. We should encourage them to wash their hands regularly and each student should have at least one bottle of sanitizer in their bag With all these precautions, we can sidestep the potential dangers,” he said.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said that even though the cases of coronavirus are increasing in the capital, there is nothing to worry as the number of hospitalizations is less.
Reports of infections from schools have sparked concern, weeks after schools opened completely for offline classes after a gap of two years due to the pandemic.
The fresh infection in private schools in the capital has been reported close to Noida and Ghaziabad reporting new cases of the disease in adjoining schools.
Delhi has seen a rise in coronavirus cases and positivity rate in the last few days. Delhi on Saturday registered a jump of nearly 26 per cent in the number of COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 5.33 per cent in the last 24 hours.
Sudha Acharya, president of the National Progressive Schools Conference (NPSC), which has over 120 schools in Delhi as its member, said shutting down the entire school is no longer an option.
“Event experts advise against it. Locking off specific areas for sanitization is a better option,” she said.
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