To send or not, parents worry over Covid threat

Hyderabad: Scores of parents are left in confusion over sending their wards to the schools in the wake of the State government mulling to reopen schools for students of Class IX to X from February 1.

Speaking to The Hans India, parent of a Class IX student of BhavanasAtmakuri Rama Rao School said that the parents were of the view that they can send their wards to the school after a cure or vaccine is found for the COVID-19.

But, now the government says that vaccination programmes are meant only for those of above 18 years of age. Now, "I am clueless as to send my daughter to school," she added.

Expressing similar view S Ramachandran of Hillside School said that he is ready to send his son studying Class X. There are several parents who wanted to send their children to the school on reopening. But, the way schools have played with the parents on the school fee issue left them not very confident that the schools would strictly observe all the safety norms. So, "Many of us are not ready to take chances and wanted to wait for some more time," he said.

Further, he stressed that the State government and education department authorities should take up awareness among parents about the kind of safety norms that the schools have to follow ahead of the reopening of the schools.Several parents from the Delhi School of Excellence, Manikonda, Global Edge and Vikas Concept Schools have expressed similar fears about the safety of their children studying in Class IX and X.

It may be mentioned here that early on, most of the parents have been waiting for the vaccine or a cure, assuming vaccination would provide the much-sought-after safety for their children to send to schools on reopening. However, now that the vaccine is not made available for the people below the age of 18 years, several parents have become hesitant and are confused as to what course of action that they have to choose.

Against this backdrop, Seema Agarwal, working president of Hyderabad Students Parents Association (HSPA), said that parents need to be made aware of vaccination, safety in the wake of the State government contemplating to reopen schools. The government must conduct awareness among parents, or for that matter, the general public. "There should be a declaration from the school or the state government, if anything happens, they will bear the medical expenses."

The government has taken the decision in a hurry; we didn't ask the state government to reopen schools this year. We will send our children from next academic year. There's no vaccine available out for school students and there's a long queue out there." said another HSPA member.