‘Corporate schools could exploit the situation’

Many fear that institutions may take advantage of govt. guidelines and force students to attend classroom coaching

Following the State government’s Unlock 4.0 guidelines several schools have started preparing for the classes but many parents have expressed apprehensions in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the district. Several social activists opine that corporate schools and colleges will exploit such decisions.

"Online classes has been a failure for most of the institutions. The corporate schools and colleges will exploit and violate the latest decisions of the government by conducting full-fledged classes in their quest for ranks ignoring the COVID-19 situation. If some parents start sending their children to school, this will put pressure on the rest," says the State president of the Child Rights Protection Forum (CRPF), G. Seetharam.

Many parents are of the opinion that the government should go for online classes for some more months, at least till the COVID-19 curve sees a decline. Parents are worried that even a small negligence at school or during transit can expose children to the risk of contracting the virus.

A parent from Gajuwaka, G. Linga Raju is concerned that corporate institutions could exploit the government guidelines and force children to attend school. With the State reporting the second highest number of cases in the country the time is not right yet to reopen educational institutions. The spike in infections is alarming in Vizag too, he remarks.

Trial basis

Says another parent Ravi Kumar from Seethammadara: "On pilot basis, schools should be started for the 10th class students by dividing them into batches. After monitoring the situation for a while, if everything goes fine, other classes can begin."

According to a senior officer from the Education Department they are yet to receive any communication from the government on the procedure to be followed in respect of opening of educational institutions.