Barely any pupils as schools reopen

Jammu: Adhering guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MH&FW) for unlock 4.0, the Jammu and Kashmir among other states on Monday reopened schools after the gap of six months, which were closed in month of March due to outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to the SoPs issued by the MH&FW on September 8, only 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff was to be allowed on the premises and attendance was not mandatory for students.
On the first day of school reopening, the students did not attend the schools, as teachers were seen waiting in vain for the pupils to attend. Moreover, the fear-stricken parents preferred not to send their wards as only a few students turned up for taking ‘consultation’
Principal Secretary, School Education, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon had said that the schools reopening not for regular classes but consultation by volunteer secondary students on consent of parents with 50% teachers on roster as per MHA lockdown 4 guidelines & Min of health & FW protocols conveyed by chief secretary & circulated to DCs/directors/CEOs.
In this regard, the Directorate of School Education has devised an undertaking to be furnished by the parents, which puts the entire responsibility for the safety of children on the parents.
"I undertake that I will not blame anybody in the school for any incident of Covid-19 infection", states the undertaking that parents must provide so that their children can attend the schools for Classes 9 to 12.
The undertaking also says that the parents will provide face masks, sanitizers and also ensure that the children do not wear any belts, rings, wrist watches, etc., those could become causes for the spread of the coronavirus infection.
“I am not going to put the life of my son at the stake to follow the reckless decision taken by the authorities to open schools at a time when recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has dropped from 64 per cent to 35 per cent in Jammu district,” a father of a student of SRML School, said.
“I am not going to submit the indemnity bond. Authorities have decided to open the schools and they have to take the responsibility of the safety of students,” said Vijay Verma, a resident of Bishnah town of Jammu district.
Principal of Government Ranbir Higher Secondary School Anjali Gupta told media persons, "We have got instructions from the director school of education to open the school partially."
"Accordingly, those students who are facing problems with online classes due to network problems, or those who don't have android phones, so they must be given platform that they come to schools voluntarily to seek guidance from teachers," she said.
The Principal said, "We have been directed to have 50 per cent staff. We have made a group for online classes. And we have intimated that those students who want guidance in any subject, they can get a letter of consent signed by their parents and come to school by following all SoPs given from time to time."
"We have done sanitization and fumigation of the school besides cleaning of desks etc," she added.