Schools, Madrasas open across many states

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Students in Madrasa (File)
Students in Madrasa (File)

 

Shah Imran Hassan/ New Delhi

Children excitedly joined their classes as schools in Delhi reopened for students of 9 to 12 standards, almost one and a half years after educational institutions were shut down due to a spike in the COVID-19 infections.

Students from various schools in the national capital were seen enthusiastic and excited over the resumption of physical classes. The schools were ordered shut in the national capital in March 2020 after a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, In Uttar Pradesh, students of class one to five are joining their classes in Madrasas from s Wednesday. The permission for the classes in Mdrasas was given by the Minority Board Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi.

The Madrasas have to take full precautions under the COVID protocols.

In this regard, Awaz-the Voice spoke to some of the parents of the children to know their thoughts on the reopening as the news about the imminent third wave is also pouring in.

Assadullah Fahim of New Delhi is both a teacher and a father. He said schools should be opened, “because, without education, a person's mental capacity has started vanishing.”

Education has suffered a lot in the last year, it is not easy to make up for it; but schools must be reopened with precautions, Fahim said.

He added that the disadvantages of stopping school education are high because all kinds of development activities are linked to education.

Explaining, Asadullah Fahim said that schooling is also important from an economic point of view.

School education works as a power supply.

Dr. Nawaz Nawaz Deobandi, a well-known Indian poet and educationist is the founder of the Nawaz Girls Public School that operates 16 schools for girls.

He said that due to the Covid-induced lockdown, the financial and other losses are countable while losses because of the non-opening of the school remained uncounted and yet are colossal.

“Just as the power supply is cut off and the fans stop working; education works as a power supply that provides us with mental capabilities and knowledge,” he said.

Deobandi also favoured the reopening of schools.

Dr. Nawaz Deobandi said that the online classes were the only way students felt they were students. “It did nothing more to them,” he said.

“Now the schools are opening, that's a good thing, we all have to work together for the cause. For this, the government as well as parents, teachers, and students have to work together because a system that was running has come to a standstill, it has to be mentally prepared to start again,” he said.

People consult together on various issues, people should also think about education. The most complex issues are educational issues, the educational journey is endless, it is a long life journey. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every class of us to try to fill it as much as possible.

"Especially at a time like this, parents need to be very vigilant," he said.

The full two years have passed and during the period people have seen funerals, the sick, and everyone has come out of a frightening situation. “We all have to make a comprehensive plan for the future.” he said.

He said there is the need to re-strengthen our educational factory that had come to a standstill.

Shahnawaz Badr Qasmi is the director of Vision International School Saharsa (Bihar).

He told Awaz-the Voice over the telephone that the biggest loser due to Corona was to the education sector. He said the lockdown had ruined the future of millions of children in the country.

Due to poverty and compulsion, a large number of children started working to earn for their families and it’s very painful to see this. There should be a survey on this in each state. “What is the reason that we have failed to make the country 100% educated even though we all aspire higher?” he asked.

It is also important to reopen the school with precautionary measures so that if similar educational institutions remain permanently closed due to Corona, millions of employees working in private educational institutions will lose their jobs and children will be deprived of educational activities. Most rented educational institutions have closed, school owners are in debt.