The Tamil Nadu government has decided to permit schools to resume in-person learning for Classes I-VIII from November 1 in view of the “drastic reduction” in the COVID-19 infection rate. Citing the view of the WHO on the psychological well-being of students, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi contends that school reopening would address the issue because schools remained closed for 18 months. “Parents of small children, who are fully vaccinated, can sit with them in the classroom and leave when they feel like leaving,” he said in an interview on Sunday. Edited excerpts:
Does the government’s decision to reopen schools for Classes I-VIII indicate that the threat from COVID-19 is over?
The Chief Minister took the decision after taking into account the opinion of the Health Department, public health experts and Chief Educational Officers (CEOs). The School Education Department constantly reviewed the situation with the CEOs and we submitted a report, based on their opinion, to the Chief Minister. Health experts also felt that the students had developed resistance to the infection. Now, we have one month, and are using the period to prepare the schools for in-person learning. There will be a mass cleaning and sanitation programme to create a safe and clean environment and classrooms. Children who have attended only online classes for LKG and UKG are going to enter the classrooms for the first time. But we are not going to compel them to sit in the classrooms throughout the school hours. Parents, who are fully vaccinated, can sit with their children and leave the classroom if they are not comfortable.
There is a view that while children may have developed resistance, they could still remain carriers of the novel coronavirus...
What is equally important is the psychological well-being of children. Schools have not been functioning for the last 18 months, and there is a huge learning loss. WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan has pointed out that children have the same amount of antibody exposure as adults. She has said that while we have shut schools saying children should not be exposed to the virus, there has been community exposure because children have been doing other activities. They have been going to malls and playing outside, and are around their families. The WHO has made out a strong case for the reopening of schools, saying that there would not be much chance of the infection spreading.
Board examinations were not conducted for Class X and XII students last year. Will you be able to conduct the examinations this academic year?
Our primary focus is on students of Class X, XI and XII. We are conducting quiz-type multiple-choice examinations periodically to keep them abreast of the teaching in the classroom and prepare them for the final examinations. We are not sure whether we will be in a position to conduct the quarterly and half-yearly examinations. The School Education Department, however, will conduct a combined examination in December and prepare them for the final examinations in March.
You said in the Assembly that the ruling DMK would make government schools a symbol of pride. How are you going to achieve it?
The School Education Department lost its focus in the last 10 years. Government schools came down in the estimation of people. Samacheer Kalvi [the common syllabus] was introduced by the DMK government [of 2006-11] to remove the inequalities in school education. There were matriculation schools, Anglo-Indian schools and Oriental schools. Our leader Kalaignar [M. Karunanidhi] went ahead with reforms to school education. My predecessor Thangam Thennarasu played an important role in the smooth transition.
After returning to power, we have initiated many measures, and there is an increase in the number of students who are joining government schools. It is a healthy trend.
How do you expect parents to send their children to government schools when those who are working in government departments or teaching at government schools are not doing so?
We cannot compel anyone to send his/her children to government schools. But we will improve the standards and that will make people change their opinion of government schools. It will happen soon.
