Veroli Zhimo
The Nagaland Government has taken the difficult decision to reopen schools and educational institutions, encouraged by a consensus among public health experts that the benefits of in-person learning outweigh the risks of a COVID-19 surge at present.
For almost the entire academic year in 2021, students were required to adapt to a virtual academic environment devoid of teachers who could manage each student’s diverse academic achievement levels and unable to engage with classmates with whom they could experience learning together.
But on February 15, most school doors opened and no one is happier than students, parents, teachers and school administrators who have been preparing for this moment.
Now, students and teachers have to make another transition back to offline methods of teaching and learning and there is a special burden on teachers who have to make an assessment of how much each individual student has progressed.
However, the responsibility for student success does not entirely rest in the hands of teachers. All sectors of the local community also play a role.
For starters, parents and guardians have to continue their support and ensure that their children and wards are in the right frame of mind—mentally and academically, and are not overwhelmed by the transition.
School administrators should also ensure that the same attention to mental health should also be prioritised in schools along with general physical health and safety, considering that most students are unvaccinated and vulnerable to the disease.
Beyond that, the District Task Forces should also frequently apply checks and balances so that the health and safety of children and all personnel (teaching and non-teaching) in the school set-ups are not compromised. Any complacency in enforcing the safety guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be firmly countered lest the nascent return of schooling is jeopardised.
Comments can be sent to vzhimolimi@gmail.com
