Back to School: Parents not yet ready to send kids

Nearly 80 percent of parents of students enrolled in the 1,000-odd secondary schools of Uttar Pradesh Board in Prayagraj district are not prepared to send their children to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

UP Board secretary Divyakant Shukla had directed district inspectors of schools (DIOS) to seek a written permission from parents about their willingness to send their children back to schools amid the pandemic.

"We contacted parents of 3,42,657 students from Classes 9 to 12 whose homes were not located in containment zones. Among those contacted, parents of just 71,958 (21 per cent) students agreed to let their children go back to schools and meet their teachers," DIOS (Prayagraj) R.N. Vishwakarma said.

The remaining 79 per cent parents were still unsure about their children's safety given the threat of COVID-19.

Since schools have remained shut since March and online classes are being held for students, the UP Board officials planned to allow students to interact with their teachers about any problems they might be facing in online classes.

Around 1.25 crore students are enrolled in Classes 9 to 12 in more than 28,000 UP Board schools in the state.

"In Prayagraj alone, 3,53,961 students are enrolled in 1,079 schools. Of these, 1,023 schools are located outside containment zones and have enrolled 3,42,657 students in classes 6 to 12. The number of UP Board schools outside containment zones in Prayagraj is 56," Vishwakarma added.

The officer said that through an awareness drive, parents of 2,65,153 students have been made aware of the various academic content being made available for their children by the government through various online mediums.

Principal of KV (IIIT-A. Jhalwa) Vijeyesh Pandey said that the schools had also asked its students' parents if they were willing to send their kids back to school. "We had sent out online forms for a feedback and over 95 per cent of the parents were not ready to send their children back to school even if it was to get their doubts cleared or getting guidance," he said