#BackToSchool: Kolkata students, parents, want schools to reopen, emphasise on sports and co-curricular activities

It has been more than two years since schools were closed due to the ongoing pandemic. Even during the onset of the third wave, when many establishments were allowed to be operational in Kolkata, educational institutions remained shut. Now, this has led to a lot of disappointment among people in general. Parents are concerned about their children losing out on almost two years of classroom study, fun and overall development.Last week saw guardians launching a protest march in the city demanding that the schools be reopened and that the state government authorities should reconsider their decision. Here’s what the students and their parents have to say…

I want the schools to reopen. My son, Merek, is three years old. I got him admitted to a playschool this year, and now he has to take online classes. The reason I got him admitted to a schools is because this is the age when kids should learn to mingle with other students. There should be some level of exchange. But sadly, that is not happening. I think about those students who cannot afford a smartphone or a computer. What will they do? When restaurants and bars are open, why not schools?
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My mom and dad have been telling me about all the fun kids have in school and I want to go to school as soon as they allow us.
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I want the schools to reopen for two reasons. We all know that attending online classes is not the ideal way to study. It may create a sense of isolation. Everyone learns in their own manner. They should attend physical classes and learn from their teachers and classmates. Also, the present system has created immense pressure on parents. Teaching is a highly specialised and a skilled job and not anyone can do it. We, parents, are not trained to do the job and because of that kids are lagging behind.
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I want to go back to school as soon as possible. I am really tired of these online classes and I miss my friends too.
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I would like the schools to reopen only after all the students have been vaccinated. Recently, a large population tested positive but fortunately, the number of deaths and hospitalisation was low compared to the deadly second wave. One reason for this limited damage was the fact that many of us have been vaccinated. In my opinion, exposing children without getting them vaccinated would be risky. Hopefully, the government will start the vaccination programme for children soon and I think it's worth the wait.
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I miss my school friends. I remember going to the school canteen and buying food during the break and sharing it with my friends. I want to go back to school at the earliest opportunity.
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Schools must reopen. Online classes are definitely not enough to hone the talent of students. They are becoming increasingly frustrated, lazy and are losing their focus. Students are taking advantage of the technology to skip reading and learning. They have discovered many ways of cheating during online exams. So, overall, their net progress is nil. So students need to go to school again, need to embrace normalcy again and study under the watchful guidance of the teachers.
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When the online classes started, it seemed like the best solution. But, after two years, I realised what going to school meant. It’s painful to realize that we have lost two precious years of our lives. There's a limit beyond which neither books or video games can hold you in place. I want to meet my friends, teachers soon.



In my opinion, schools should reopen in phases over the next couple of months. The overall physical and mental development of kids are taking a toll as they are confined to their homes. Though teachers have done a commendable job during the pandemic to keep the children engaged, I feel online classes cannot be a replacement for physical classes. Co-curricular activities and sports are also extremely important for the development of a child. The vaccination drive for children is required to be expedited to cover all children over five years.
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I miss my teachers, friends, our playground and wearing the school uniform. I wish our school reopens soon.
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