Reopening schools, a risky proposition

As part of Unlock 5.0, schools across the country are being prepared to reopen, with educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Uttarakhand opening from November 2 with strict COVID-19 guidelines in places. Other states including Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha had planned on reopening schools from November 16. The decision is now being reconsidered in Tamil Nadu, where students from Classes 9 to 12, were expected to re-join their classes post Deepavali. The reopening plan was opposed by stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and health experts, who cited concerns of monsoon-induced ailments as well as unpreparedness in terms of sanitation measures. Just this week, the state government had considered providing free face masks to as many as 38 lakh students of government and government-aided schools, keeping in mind the needs of students from economically challenged backgrounds. But maskingrelated behavioural changes are just one of the challenges. The results of a study conducted by the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, which was released in September, marked out the role of children in the spread of the pandemic. The analysis said children transmitted the virus at rates that were similar to the rest of the population. The research said children aged 5-17 passed the virus to 18% of close contacts of their own age. A researcher who spoke in light of this study emphasised that national policies concerning the resumption of educational activities including children will need to be reconsidered if children can infect others as efficiently as adults, or even act as superspreaders. Cautionary tales have sprung up globally in a few instances where the reopening of schools have jeopardised public health. Gymnasia Ha’ivrit high school in Jerusalem became the epicentre of a major outbreak after schools opened as early as May. As many as 977 pupils and teachers had contracted COVID, with 60 pc of the students being asymptomatic. The precautions urged by the administration back then included smaller-sized classes, masking, six feet distancing, and of course, providing adequate ventilation. While major cities in Europe are still under lockdown, schools have started functioning in a graded manner, except for France, where teachers went on a strike to protest the reopening in the absence of adequate safety measures. Two schools in the US went so far as to shuffle their students in classrooms every 14 minutes to reduce the risk of contamination. Ventilation is also a determinant of the spread of the virus and must be considered in the context of cramped classrooms built into various urban and rural regions across Tamil Nadu, where buildings jostle with each other. There are concerns about personal hygiene and sanitation too. A survey of more than 2,000 schools across 15 states by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) conducted in September revealed glaring lapses, concerning sanitation. Over 50 per cent of government school toilets constructed by the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) lack even basic handwashing terminals. The study also revealed that of the 1,967 co-educational schools, 99 schools lacked functional toilets. While experts have suggested starting early morning classes in outdoor spaces, and even employing unused school auditoriums for imparting lessons in a phased manner, it must be understood that we are still in the thick of the virus. It would be wiser on part of the government to ensure that fundamental aspects of safety, not just about COVID, are taken care of before students are called into classes. In the past, it might have been almost second nature to downplay aspects of ergonomics and architecture when conceptualising schools. But a holistic reimagining of our educational spaces will become essential going forth in a post-pandemic world.