We Need Caring Schools to Bring Back Millions of ‘Offline’, Pushed-out Children

There is a strong call for governments to reopen schools. A large majority of parents who have experienced the devastating impact of the pandemic on health and livelihoods are acutely anxious about the future of their children abandoned by schools, now losing confidence and interest in studying. On the other…

Hazards of not reopening schools too serious to be ignored, says parliamentary panel

The committee has noted that the closure of schools has not only impacted social fabric of families in a negative manner, it has also increased involvement of children in household chores. The seriousness of the matter should not be overlooked and a well balanced reasoned view may be taken for opening…

Karnataka: Degree students address learning loss among children, conduct bridge courses

Instead of pushing teachers to ‘cover the syllabus’, we must orient them to ‘discover the child’, to learn with empathy what she has been through during the pandemic. Facilitated by a Bengaluru-based child rights organization, Child Rights Trust, a group of degree students in Karnataka has commenced workshops in rural…

Reopening schools: It’s no longer about whether but how to

While outbreaks do occur in school settings, transmission is lower than or similar to the levels of community transmission if prevention strategies are followed. School closures can lead to learning loss, mental distress, exposure to violence and abuse, missed school-based meals, vaccinations and reduced development of social skills.