SHILLONG, Nov 1: The state government’s decision to reopen schools for classes I to V in urban areas from Monday has evoked mixed feelings from parents with some welcoming the move and others skeptic about sending their children/wards to schools over safety concerns.
Most schools in the city remained closed on Monday as parents and students opted for online classes and with only a few weeks left in the current academic session, they preferred to continue with the online setup.
There were some schools which had decided to resume offline classes but students did not turn up. Some schools are facing problems in resuming classes for 1 to V on a staggered basis due to space constraints. Some schools have announced study leaves to allow the students from Nursery till class VII to prepare for their promotion examination.
Principal of St. Mary’s Montessori School, Sr. Justina Dohling said it will not be possible for the school to attend to a handful of children in the classroom since majority of the parents are not sending their children to school. “We will have to continue with online classes since we will be able to attend to all the children,” she said, while admitting that offline classes were better since children are more attentive in the presence of teachers. “Children, especially the little ones, do not focus during online classes since parents are with them. It is extremely difficult to ask the young ones to focus,” she revealed.
Sr. Dohling also pointed out that students and teachers face problems during online classes due to the network problem.
Principal of Synod Higher Secondary, Sandra Tongper said the school is preparing to hold the promotion examinations for the lower classes.
She disclosed that they have already conducted the mid-term examinations and the teachers have been able to complete the syllabi for the respective classes.
“We will announce the results in December. We will hold offline classes for the lower sections from next year only,” Tongper said.
A teacher from Eriben Presbyterian Secondary School, Nongthymmai, said the school will conduct the promotion examinations upto Class IX later this month.
The teacher also said that the results will be declared in December and the next academic session will begin in January.
While parents seem to have apprehensions about sending their children to schools, young ones who attended classes on Monday for the first time in 2021, were quite excited to meet their friends after a long gap.
Emidahun Myrthong, a class III student of Shillong Public School, said she was happy to attend school since she was able to meet her friends. She quickly added that only a few of her friends attended school on Monday but it still was fun since she was bored staying indoors for several months.
“The children are not able to study properly at home and they are not as active as they were in school. Also they are bored. Offline class is very different and it benefits the students more,” said one of the parents, Lumlang Pohsngap.
Another parent, Rilang Swer said that it is difficult for parents to teach their children at home.
“We can’t do what the teachers do in school. Offline classes help our children learn faster and better,” Swer said.
Pointing out that there was no vaccine available for children at the moment, Shanbor Kurkalang said, “If there was one, I would have already got them inoculated. But since there is no vaccine, we have to take care of them and adhere to all the protocols.”
Another parent, Tulin Myrthong said that as parents, they are grateful that the government had decided to reopen the schools for classes I to V.
“Even if it is only for one or two months, it is beneficial for the students. In school, they are taught in a better way and they get the required explanation from the teachers,” Myrthong added.