Studies show that screening students using rapid tests, coupled with strict behavioural interventions, helps control COVID-19 infections
The socio-economic distress triggered by the lockdown necessitated by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has been a cause of anxiety for many in India and globally, too. According to the United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO), more than 400 million workers from India’s informal sector will be pushed deeper into poverty due to the effects of Covid-19.
India’s underpreparedness and failure to have a smart testing and tracing strategy to counter the spread of the virus is proving disastrous not only for the economy but also for its underprivileged and marginalised citizens. As a result, education, especially that of vulnerable communities, has taken a huge hit.
More than 320 million students have been hit by the Covid-19 lockdown and shifting of classes online. The 75th report of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for 2017-18 highlights the digital divide in the country. Only 23.8 per cent of India has access to the internet, with urban areas leading with 42 per cent and rural availability languishing at 14.9 per cent. Amid such a digital divide, frustrated students have been pushed to take extreme steps like self-harm. The recent suicide by a LSR student highlights the financial hardships faced by them.
Many scholars were forced to drop out due to the unavailability of digital tools to access online education and started working on farms to augment the income of the family. In particular, the education of the girl child has suffered the most, with 42 per cent of the girls surveyed reporting a decline in their family’s income during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in lack of acccess to digital education. Consequently, one in two girls surveyed was at risk of dropping out. The spillover effect of girls dropping out of schools and colleges will be massive, amounting to $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings. As the unlocking of the economy, as well as schools, colleges and universities, takes place, there is a need for a concrete plan to address the challenges that are set to arise. This is because the resumption of classes increases the exposure and vulnerability of students, teachers, and staff to COVID-19. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that COVID-19 testing is made accessible and affordable to all in order to ensure the maximum safety of all stakeholders and students. This will prevent any long-lasting impact on the economy and society.
The Government needs to focus on scientific measures to control the spread of the virus. Opening up of schools and colleges without an effective testing and tracing strategy will be catastrophic as children are considered to be spreaders of the virus. The healthcare systems are overburdened currently and, in such a situation, access to health to the most vulnerable suffers the most. And so, it is crucial not to lose sight of the effectiveness of targeted testing and rigorous contact tracing across the country.
There are global studies which have noted that screening students every two or three days using rapid tests, coupled with strict behavioural interventions, is helpful to maintain a controllable number of COVID-19 infections. It permits the safe return of students to campuses. This will also allow governments to take a more comprehensive view of the situation on the ground and allow them to make practical decisions on opening colleges and schools, and not just be based on an ad-hoc policy.
The economic downturn has taken a huge toll on students and education in India. While a robust testing and tracing strategy will effectively manage the spread of the Coronavirus, we also need to undertake other initiatives to support students from vulnerable communities through the disbursement of scholarships, a special stimulus package for students, sector-focussed upskilling and reskilling and accessibility to proper internet facilities and laptops. School fees should also not be increased in this situation to stem the exclusion of marginalised students of the country from their right to education.
(The writer is the All-India General Secretary of SFI. The views expressed are personal.)