Academicians and parents hail decision to postpone school reopening

Even a minor let up in ensuring safety measures at the school could lead to the risk of students contracting coronavirus infection, said Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association president PK Ilamaran. “The government has consulted the medical experts and carefully considered the COVID-19 pandemic situation to come to the right decision to postpone school re-opening,” he said, pointing out how Tami Nadu has been recording more than 5,000 cases every day.

“Parents are waiting for normalcy to return before sending their children to schools,” he said.

S Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, added that many parents were not willing to send children because of the pandemic. “We had already submitted a petition to the government seeking assurance and allay parents’ fear for the safety of the children. But instead of doing that, the government said parents who were interested in sending their children to school could do so. The government order had confused many parents,” he said.

“The government has to create a safe situation so that all the students could return to school,” Arumainathan added.

“I was not willing to send my children to school because there is no guarantee that they would not catch the infection,” said H Banumathi, a homemaker whose children are studying in Class 10 and Class 12 at a private school in Pallavaram.

According to State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) secretary PB Prince Gajendra Babu, it is the Directorate of Public Health that should give recommendation on school reopening based on the prevailing situation. “The State cabinet cannot decide on this,” he added.