Joyful scenes prevailed as classmates met each other after a gap of 17 months as schools across the State reopened on Monday.
Even though they had to sit fairly apart from each other due to strict physical distancing norms — only two children per desk instead of the usual four — the happiness of being back among friends was evident on their faces.
Classrooms that had fallen silent for so long came back to life as students chatted noisily, catching up with each other on the unprecedented events of the last one-and-a-half years. Emotions ran high as some students who had lost their family members were comforted by their friends.
“We missed two Independence Day and one Republic Day celebrations in the last 17 months. Besides, functions like the school annual day, Teachers’ Day, New Year’s Day, picnics, study tours and many other occasions were also missed due to the pandemic. The government should take measures to prevent the spread of the third wave,” said K. Lasya Sree, a Class IX student.
“We went through a tough time staying home for the past 17 months. Many of us were not allowed to even go out of our homes on our own nor were we taken out on outings by our parents due to the COVID-19 threat. We were thoroughly bored at home, attending online classes every day,” said students at a government school in the city.
Concerns remain
While the children are glad to be back in school, parents are worried over lingering fears of an impending third wave of the pandemic. School managements were urged to leave nothing to chance and take all precautions to ensure that children were not infected.
“It is a fact that children have undergone an immense emotionalt turmoil due to being confined to their homes for so long. But we are still worried about sending them to school as a vaccine for children is yet to be rolled out,” said M. Parvathi, a parent of a school-going child in Patamata.
Teachers said that all students carried hand sanitisers, water bottles, and napkins, besides wearing masks and face shields. Some even wore hand gloves and were seen spraying sanitisers before occupying their seats in the classrooms.
“We cleaned the classrooms, corridors, staff rooms, toilets and playgrounds and sanitised them. Only two students were made to sit on each bench and a limited strength is allowed in classrooms,” said K. Swapna, a teacher at a private school in Bhimavaram.
Vidya Kanuka kits
In 104 schools run by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), Jagananna Vidya Kanuka kits were distributed to 26,188 students on the first day, VMC officials said. Uniforms, shoes, belts, bags, books and dictionaries were distributed as part of the kits.
Most of the parents dropped off their children at school themselves instead of sending them by public transport, a school headmaster said.
Another parent, S. Sri Valli, said that the Education Department officials should visit schools frequently and ensure that the managements sanitise the classrooms and other places properly on the premises to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as other viral infections.
