AP School Reopening: Parents, Students express concern as Govt orders reopening of Schools after Sankranthi holidays

AP School Reopening Update: Andhra Pradesh Government’s decision to order reopening of schools following Sankranthi holidays has run into trouble with students and parents. The state government ordered all schools to reopen for physical classes for all students after the Sankranthi holidays, which ended on 17^th January 2022. However, with high number of COVID-19 cases being detected across the state, several students and parents have expressed concern about the move. Stakeholders have reached out to different government agencies requesting reconsideration of the decision and closure of schools citing safety concerns around students’ health.

School Reopening to Limit Educational Loss for Students

Earlier, while issuing orders for reopening of schools, AP Education Minister Suresh Kumar said that the decision was taken keeping in mind the educational loss incurred by the students. As per an IANS report, Mr Kumar said "Already 150 days of school have been completed in this academic year, and we intend to continue the remaining session in offline mode. Due to the Covid pandemic, we followed an 'all pass' approach in the last years but we understand the problems that the students will face in future if this continues." Furthermore, government officials have also said that as 90% of the staff is vaccinated and many children in the eligible population have received the first dose; it doesn’t make any sense to keep schools closed for long period of time.

Parents’ Demand Extension in Holidays

As AP still has COVID-19 restrictions imposed across the state, several parents’ have question the state government decision to allow reopening of schools. In fact, many parents have appealed to the government to extend the holidays and instead permit online classes for students. Even as schools reopened on 17^th January 2022, parents have chosen not to send their children or wards to schools citing safety concerns. Offline Classes, especially in areas with high number of COVID-19 cases, is seen as a major concern by parents, who are worried about safety, health and well-being of their children.

Govt may extend School Closure due to Sparse Attendance, Parents’ Concerns

Keeping in mind the sparse attendance of students and the concerns raised by parents, the state government may decide to extend the period of school closures further ahead. However, as of now there has been no clear communication in this regards. Students and parents are advised to stay tuned to jagranjosh.com to get latest updates about Andhra Pradesh School Reopening News.

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