Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in the national Capital, parents are divided over whether schools should go into hybrid mode of learning again or continue with offline classes. While a section of parents, citing experts' views, says online classes will result in further learning loss for their wards, others are of the opinion that the schools should opt for hybrid mode (online and offline sessions) and leave the decision to parents.
"There cannot be a single decision which will suit everybody's needs and put concerns to rest. So why not leave it to parents? Those who want, will send their kids to school, others will not," said Kuldeep Kumar, parent of a seven-year-old child. Akhilesh Garg, however, had a different opinion on hybrid mode. "The option of letting parents take a call is a good one, but it triggers problems for those who want to send their wards for offline classes. If many students opt for online classes, the school will stop the transportation service and many others will be forced to opt for online classes because they cannot manage to pick and drop their children themselves," he said.
Schools in Delhi will continue in offline mode, but they will have to ensure that Covid protocols are strictly followed, failing which a penalty may be imposed for creating a deterrent effect, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided on Wednesday.
The DDMA decided that a separate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be developed for schools in consultation with experts. Reports of infections from schools have triggered concerns weeks after they opened for offline classes following a two-year gap due to pandemic.
Experts have been warning against closure of schools yet again, citing learning losses. Aparajita Gautam, president of Delhi Parents Association, said parents are concerned about the rising cases.