After 2 years, Jamshedpur schools go offline for all classes, campuses come alive as kids return

Jamshedpur, March 21: School kids were back to their campuses after a gap of two years. Attired in brand-new uniforms, the pre-primary and primary children turned up at their respective schools in Jamshedpur, after almost two years of closure due to the pandemic. Government and unaided schools have also reopened for the new academic year on Monday, March 21.

School students returned back to their schools to concentrate on their studies, in the steel city. The campuses were abuzz with activities as the tiny tots carrying their back returned to their campus.  

Children were full of enthusiasm after reaching schools and meeting their classmates.

The schools were decked up to welcome the children. Covid-19 protocols were in place and it is mandatory for children to wear masks. Children were allowed to enter the class only after sanitising their hands. School management is keeping special check on cleanliness in classrooms.

Harvinder Kaur, Principal, Kerala Public School Burmines, said, “Two years of Covid-19 were a nightmare. Kids education has been affected a lot and online learning can never be a substitute to classroom study. The growth of children has been stunted and it will take time to regulate it again. For this everyone needs to work together. This is possible only with the joint effort of teacher, child and parent.”

While students had their own tales of woe, the principals presented their own case to justify their stand. “Today, every individual has to live under an optimum amount of pressure. This is especially true of the student community, who have to strike a balance between academics and enjoyment,” a principal. “I agree that it might have dampened their spirits to a certain extent, but the host of in-house events I have chalked for them won’t be possible otherwise,” added the principal.

Even as students complained about examination-phobia dampening their spirits, some managed to share in the revelry with friends.

Students, teachers and other non-teaching staff have been asked to take all Covid-19 precautions and adhere to the guidelines issued by the government while attending school.

“I am happy that schools have reopened as students were getting badly affected. Some of the children studying in schools do not have laptops to carry out online studies. Our syllabus is lagging and we will work hard to cover it,” said a class 9 student of Loyola School.

Teachers too seemed happy to be able to take physical classes again. “It is good that we are getting an opportunity to teach students in physical classrooms. All these months we used to come to schools but did not have teaching work,” said a teacher.

Some students have to bring consent letters from their guardians to be able to attend the classes, another teacher said. Attendance, however, remained thin as many parents were apprehensive of sending their wards to the educational institutions till they are inoculated.

Schools that provide pick and drop services to students have been asked to ensure that the service providers always have their masks on. A minimum distance of 1 to 2 feet should be there between the students and they have been told not to talk to each other during the drive.