On March 19, 2020, The Delhi government for the first time ordered the closure of all government and private schools in the city for teaching and non-teaching staff till March 31 in the wake of coronavirus, and postponed all examinations.
However, it is important to note that March-April – the time when schools in the national capital as well as schools across the country were closed – was the time when they were conducting final exams which then paved the way for new academic The year.
While the final exams for classes other than class 10 and 12 were cancelled, the board students had their exams postponed. Schools were reopened for all classes with 50 percent student strength on November 1, 2021, only after 19 months of closure, and classes continued in hybrid mode.
During this time when parents complained about their struggles to keep their children engaged, both teachers and students struggled with online modes of education, in which students had no access to the Internet or good quality There was also no financial support to buy a smartphone. Eighty-four percent of households in the capital have internet connectivity, but only 25 percent of children enrolled in schools had access to education when their schools were closed, according to a survey conducted by Liranesia during the first lockdown of 2020 . Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
A study by the Azim Premji Foundation revealed that nearly 60 percent of school children in India cannot access online learning opportunities.
Regarding the challenges faced by teachers and students after the schools reopen in November 2021, the Springdales school principal told IANS, “The ability of the students, especially those in the primary grades, has been stymied by the pandemic. lockdown. There was hesitation and fear as to how things would go from here on out.
Seema, a parent of a 12-year-old student of Sardar Patel School and a member of the parents’ union, said: “The children have stepped out of the house or stepped out anywhere without a family member. Classes three days a week. 50 per cent attendance is a good idea. This pandemic has affected the mental and emotional health of all of us and children are locked in homes and lost contact with the outside world. As a parent, I want to send my child to school. But we have prepared them accordingly and will start sending them to schools from next week.”
“Kids have not only missed out on social, reading and writing skills, but they have also forgotten what they have read so far. During online classes, teachers give a lot of homework or some sort of arts and crafts and activities. which cannot be done without parental involvement. This all proved more challenging for working parents and people with more than one child,” she said, citing her own example.
After the reopening of schools in Delhi in November, on December 3, 2021, the Delhi government announced their closure until further orders due to the rise in air pollution levels – the resumption of physical classes in schools by the Supreme Court. After dragging it to start with. Increase in the level of air pollution in the city.
Earlier, on November 13, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that schools would be closed for a week to keep students away from breathing polluted air. The shutdown was extended beyond a week as the air quality in the city had not improved significantly.
On 24 November, schools were allowed to reopen for physical classes, despite recording ‘very poor’ air quality. There was a mixed reaction from parents to the decision.
In mid-December, the Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) gave its approval for the school to reopen after the city began recording a slightly better Air Quality Index (AQI). The Delhi government had announced that the physical classes after class 6 would be resumed from December 18.
However, barely a week later, schools were again closed to contain the spread of Covid-19 among children in the wake of rising cases in the national capital due to the emergence of the new Omron variant.
On Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that since cases are declining in the national capital and most students of higher classes have been vaccinated against the disease, the Delhi government will soon put up a proposal before the DDMA to reopen schools. ,
If the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) grants the nod of the state government, the exams will be conducted on time – bringing a sense of coherence and a sense of uniformity in the lives of students, parents and teachers affected by the pandemic.
,