Parents worried lot as AP Govt firm on offline classes

Visakhapatnam: SEVERAL parents are worried despite assurance by the Andhra Pradesh Government that they have reopened schools after weeklong Sankranti vacation by observing all the Covid protocols.

The firm stand taken by the government has created serious concern among several parents about the safety of their wards as the Omicron virus is fast spreading across the State. The daily caseload has exceeded 1,000 in Chittoor and Visakhapatnam districts even as the pandemic is spreading to interior tribal areas.

However, State Education Minister A Suresh said there is no reluctance among parents to send their children to schools as 90 per cent of students aged above 15 have been vaccinated and the attendance went up from 61 per cent to 74 per cent on the second day.

A parent of a third standard child in MVP Colony told Bizz Buzz that they are not in a position to lodge complaints to anyone on forcible holding of offline classes. He said like some premier private colleges, the authorities should adopt a hybrid method giving them an option to choose between online and offline classes. He said at least for lower classes the government should offer the online mode. According to unofficial reports, at least one or two students turning up to attend each class are being sent home by the teachers due to symptoms like fever, cough, cold and body pain.

Kaki Prakash Rao of Andhra Pradesh Primary Teachers' Association, said they have already communicated their concerns to the government. However, as the government has opted for offline mode, the teachers are left with no other option.

Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have already shut down schools till month-end. The Kerala Government has announced that it will close schools for two weeks after January 21. In Andhra Pradesh 75 per cent attendance is required to avail benefits under Amma Vodi launched by the YSRCP Government. The Education Department officials say they had compromised on quality due to the 'all pass' decision taken last year. "In the larger interest of the students we want to complete syllabus on time by observing all the protocols like social distancing, wearing of masks and frequent hand-washing," an official pointed out.

In a letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam national general secretary Nara Lokesh said the schools should be closed due to the spike in Covid-19 cases during the third wave. He said it is ridiculous that the State is adopting a rigid stand on sticking to offline classes when several States including the neighboring Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have shut down the schools.