Studying, with safety guidelines

After a gap of nearly six months, schools in India opened their doors to high schoolers (but not for regular lessons) this week. As part of Unlock 4, the Centre allowed schools to allow students of Classes 9 and 12 to come in and meet with teachers for guidance. Schools started doing this in eight states and one Union Territory (UT), following a protocol laid out by the Centre, and with the consent of parents. There has been no talk yet of a full-fledged resumption against the background of rising cases of Covid-19; 18 other states and one UT are considering allowing high-schoolers the option of counselling and guidance (like the eight states and one UT have); and only three states — Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — are against doing even this. Initial reports suggest that the response has been tepid. From September 1, schools in many countries reopened with precautions. The United Nations in August pointed out that the closure of schools and other learning spaces have impacted 94% of the world’s student population; warned that the knockon effects on child nutrition, child marriage and gender equality could be enormous; and the cumulative impact on children may lead to a “generational catastrophe”. The experience has been mixed. While it is all well to offer counselling and guidance sessions to high schoolers, what’s even more important is to provide students from underprivileged backgrounds with devices — a recent Delhi High Court order is a good first step in this direction. The safety of students should be the prime driver for any policy decision , and the Centre and states should figure out a way of keeping students safe, but in school (even if it is online).