Schools in Noida: Gautam Budh Nagar reopened its doors to seniors students Junior students in classes 9-12 and classes 6-8 on August 16 and September 23 respectively, but the transition back to schools after nearly 17 months of lockdown is posing new challenges for both students and students. School Management
Currently, schools in India are following the hybrid model of Education Which combines online and offline classes. Teacher’s Use online applications, such as Google Meet and Zoom, and traditional chalk-and-talk formats to engage students at home and in the classroom. Therefore, schools need to create learning modules, which work within this framework for both teachers and students.
First, there are gaps in learning among students affected by financial stress, poor health and emotional trauma. Bishwajit Banerjee, Principal, VidyaGyan Leadership Academy, Bulandshahr, said, “For teachers, it is a new responsibility to identify these gaps and plan lessons keeping in mind the individual needs of each student.”
Secondly, some students are reporting anxiety upon leaving their homes and paying less attention. Banerjee said teachers, on their part, are focusing on covering the syllabus at a slower pace and allowing students to adapt to learning in the classrooms.
Third, school lockdowns limited social interaction between students, leading to another crisis. A spokesperson of Shiv Nadar School Noida said, “It has again been challenging for students, especially for our young learners, to get accustomed to the social environment.”
Finally, the daily classroom routine from morning till evening has been tough for the students, Banerjee said. Many schools are experimenting with different classroom scheduling models to adapt students to daily routines. Staggered start, break, dismissal timings are the new normal to increase physical distancing. Following the examples of Germany and South Korea, some schools have also started classes in alternate shifts in the morning and afternoon. Others conduct classes on alternate days, a measure widely adapted in Belgium and Switzerland.
These options are helping students deal with daily routines and separation anxiety. Sharing an example, Amity International School Noida principal Renu Singh said that a class 12 girl student struggling with anxiety of leaving home, a comfort zone, could not reach school in the morning initially. The principal said that the intervention of a counselor and lateshift classes helped the student overcome the problem.
Singh said the student returned to the morning schedule after a few days and is currently attending classes regularly. “Coping with such psychosomatic symptoms involves pacifying children, understanding the reasons for their reluctance, and sharing small, structured steps with them to help them overcome obstacles,” she said.
According to Singh, ensuring that students reach school on time is a task. In another case, school authorities found a Class 10 student at the start of physical classes for family members and his pet. Not only had the student recently lost her favorite teacher to Covid-19, but her grandfather was also ill at home. “Individual attention by the class teacher and individual counseling by the school counselor inspired her to overcome despair. She learned to channelize her thoughts and channelize her energy by writing blogs,” said Singh. He added that the role of an educational institution To help develop the confidence, enthusiasm and adaptability to learning in the learners, no matter what the circumstances.
Now, many schools are focusing on improving collaboration and teamwork among students. Shiv Nadar spokesperson said that regular virtual interactions in formal and informal formats have enabled students to share classroom-like experiences. “We pay close attention to the social and emotional development of children and provide regular counseling sessions to students, staff and parents,” the spokesperson said. Schools are also focusing on timely breaks, which include activities such as dance, music and sports to relax the students.
During this time, most of the government schools are seen full of rooms. But many private schools like Amity, Shiv Nadar and Delhi Public Schools offer online classes mainly to juniors due to lack of parental consent for physical classes. At Amity International School Noida, out of 6,147 students, 98% of students in classes 9-12 and a small proportion of junior students are attending physical classes. Similarly, Shiv Nadar School Noida has 1,903 students, of whom only 250 are attending physical classes.
Following the international guidelines, the COVID protocol is being strictly followed in the school premises to ensure the well being of the students. Most schools have placed sanitizers in as many corners as possible and have tasked their security staff with the use of masks and sanitizers in classrooms and corridors, and to enforce social distancing. However, the mask mandate hasn’t been easy for everyone.
Anu Sharma, a primary school teacher in Atta village near Sector 27, said sometimes teachers had to take off masks during classes. “We are most at risk because sometimes we take off the masks during classes so that the students of the last bench can hear us. Also, students in junior classes are usually restless and need to be monitored to maintain the COVID protocol of masks and social distancing,” Sharma said.
For parents, it’s been an entirely different ballgame. “The challenge is to deal with the new schedule in which children go to school and also take online classes,” said Nivedita Mishra, mother of a Class 9 student.
Mishra said the children have become accustomed to the lockdown, with parents meeting their needs and working from home. “Now, we have to take out time to prepare the tiffin meal and maintain the uniform while taking care of everyone. It is going to take some time to adjust to the new setup,” she said. Mishra said that while school buses are still not plying, transport to and from schools is another challenge.
Parent groups and associations think it is too early to discuss reunification. Further, he claimed that the school counseling session was not as beneficial for the students as the schools are claiming. “Sessions are very normal. The school counselor is not giving personal attention to the students,” said Yatendra Kasana, president, All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA).
“For successful reintegration, teachers should conduct comparatively smaller classes. Students should not feel too burdened,” said Manoj Kataria, founder of Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Welfare Society (GBPWS). Parent groups also pointed out Many students have lost their writing and reading speed due to online classes and that there is a need for hand-holding and encouragement to rediscover that classroom skill. Another concern of parents is that children are not asking questions when One concept unclear, another consequence of lengthy online class arrangements.
Currently, schools in India are following the hybrid model of Education Which combines online and offline classes. Teacher’s Use online applications, such as Google Meet and Zoom, and traditional chalk-and-talk formats to engage students at home and in the classroom. Therefore, schools need to create learning modules, which work within this framework for both teachers and students.
First, there are gaps in learning among students affected by financial stress, poor health and emotional trauma. Bishwajit Banerjee, Principal, VidyaGyan Leadership Academy, Bulandshahr, said, “For teachers, it is a new responsibility to identify these gaps and plan lessons keeping in mind the individual needs of each student.”
Secondly, some students are reporting anxiety upon leaving their homes and paying less attention. Banerjee said teachers, on their part, are focusing on covering the syllabus at a slower pace and allowing students to adapt to learning in the classrooms.
Third, school lockdowns limited social interaction between students, leading to another crisis. A spokesperson of Shiv Nadar School Noida said, “It has again been challenging for students, especially for our young learners, to get accustomed to the social environment.”
Finally, the daily classroom routine from morning till evening has been tough for the students, Banerjee said. Many schools are experimenting with different classroom scheduling models to adapt students to daily routines. Staggered start, break, dismissal timings are the new normal to increase physical distancing. Following the examples of Germany and South Korea, some schools have also started classes in alternate shifts in the morning and afternoon. Others conduct classes on alternate days, a measure widely adapted in Belgium and Switzerland.
These options are helping students deal with daily routines and separation anxiety. Sharing an example, Amity International School Noida principal Renu Singh said that a class 12 girl student struggling with anxiety of leaving home, a comfort zone, could not reach school in the morning initially. The principal said that the intervention of a counselor and lateshift classes helped the student overcome the problem.
Singh said the student returned to the morning schedule after a few days and is currently attending classes regularly. “Coping with such psychosomatic symptoms involves pacifying children, understanding the reasons for their reluctance, and sharing small, structured steps with them to help them overcome obstacles,” she said.
According to Singh, ensuring that students reach school on time is a task. In another case, school authorities found a Class 10 student at the start of physical classes for family members and his pet. Not only had the student recently lost her favorite teacher to Covid-19, but her grandfather was also ill at home. “Individual attention by the class teacher and individual counseling by the school counselor inspired her to overcome despair. She learned to channelize her thoughts and channelize her energy by writing blogs,” said Singh. He added that the role of an educational institution To help develop the confidence, enthusiasm and adaptability to learning in the learners, no matter what the circumstances.
Now, many schools are focusing on improving collaboration and teamwork among students. Shiv Nadar spokesperson said that regular virtual interactions in formal and informal formats have enabled students to share classroom-like experiences. “We pay close attention to the social and emotional development of children and provide regular counseling sessions to students, staff and parents,” the spokesperson said. Schools are also focusing on timely breaks, which include activities such as dance, music and sports to relax the students.
During this time, most of the government schools are seen full of rooms. But many private schools like Amity, Shiv Nadar and Delhi Public Schools offer online classes mainly to juniors due to lack of parental consent for physical classes. At Amity International School Noida, out of 6,147 students, 98% of students in classes 9-12 and a small proportion of junior students are attending physical classes. Similarly, Shiv Nadar School Noida has 1,903 students, of whom only 250 are attending physical classes.
Following the international guidelines, the COVID protocol is being strictly followed in the school premises to ensure the well being of the students. Most schools have placed sanitizers in as many corners as possible and have tasked their security staff with the use of masks and sanitizers in classrooms and corridors, and to enforce social distancing. However, the mask mandate hasn’t been easy for everyone.
Anu Sharma, a primary school teacher in Atta village near Sector 27, said sometimes teachers had to take off masks during classes. “We are most at risk because sometimes we take off the masks during classes so that the students of the last bench can hear us. Also, students in junior classes are usually restless and need to be monitored to maintain the COVID protocol of masks and social distancing,” Sharma said.
For parents, it’s been an entirely different ballgame. “The challenge is to deal with the new schedule in which children go to school and also take online classes,” said Nivedita Mishra, mother of a Class 9 student.
Mishra said the children have become accustomed to the lockdown, with parents meeting their needs and working from home. “Now, we have to take out time to prepare the tiffin meal and maintain the uniform while taking care of everyone. It is going to take some time to adjust to the new setup,” she said. Mishra said that while school buses are still not plying, transport to and from schools is another challenge.
Parent groups and associations think it is too early to discuss reunification. Further, he claimed that the school counseling session was not as beneficial for the students as the schools are claiming. “Sessions are very normal. The school counselor is not giving personal attention to the students,” said Yatendra Kasana, president, All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA).
“For successful reintegration, teachers should conduct comparatively smaller classes. Students should not feel too burdened,” said Manoj Kataria, founder of Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Welfare Society (GBPWS). Parent groups also pointed out Many students have lost their writing and reading speed due to online classes and that there is a need for hand-holding and encouragement to rediscover that classroom skill. Another concern of parents is that children are not asking questions when One concept unclear, another consequence of lengthy online class arrangements.
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