How Can Schools Reopen Safely: Precautions to Take for Kids When School Reopen

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As the Covid-19 surge is slowing down, the world is starting to gain back its pace. With lockdown lifting up and everything getting back in place, people are adjusting themselves to the new normal. Offices, markets, malls and entertainment zones are already back to track and the school opening date is ready to join the force. Children being the sensitive part of society are vulnerable to get infected if not given the right guidance for precautions for getting back to school. And this makes the “safe reopening” of schools highly crucial.

Do schools need to head back to offline classes?

Schools play an integral role in a child’s development and with online schooling taking control, students are losing a part of their lives that helps them grow and shape into better personalities. Moreover, learning has been limited to bookish knowledge, with decline in social skills and values. Although online classes have taken up the center stage, just a minuscule portion of people can afford the gadgets and requirements of online schooling broadening the education gap.

School reopening in a pandemic is not a child’s play, it needs some real actions to avoid haphazard. But given the assets part, besides the bigger institutions, the smaller schools might find it difficult to implement the right precautions due to lack of resources. No matter what the case is, it is essential that schools reopen their doors for students if not completely in a hybrid mode.

Precautions to take while reopening to ensure zero risks

Well, practically in the pandemic circumstances “zero risk” is nothing more than a myth. There will always be some risks for teachers, students and their families. What we can do here is try to minimize the risk to a negligible extent.

After the first wave, when schools reopened everyone witnessed the spark in Covid-19 upsurge leading to a second wave. Things have been a little normal now, but we need to learn from our mistakes and do things differently this time. Returning to school should not be “school as usual” but should have the right precautions, here are two things to consider:

•          Precautions from school’s side

•          Precautions from parent’s side

Let’s cover each of these in detail:

What schools need to do?

The most important role in reopening schools is played by the school administrators. Being their responsibility to implement the right safety precautions at school, here is what they should do:

•          Compulsory masks and social distancing: It is the school’s job to deny entry to anyone who is not wearing a mask. Also, social distancing should be implemented avoiding social gatherings, functions, outings and sports activities.

•          Keep strength low: The schools should maintain a proper desk space and maintain good distance with the teacher. The schools with limited classrooms and facilities should operate in hybrid or rotational mode with a limited number of students in a class.

•          Temperature Check: Schools need to keep a check on the temperature of students, teachers and helping staff. Anyone with high temperatures should be avoided to be in contact with.

•          Sanitization is a must: Schools should sanitize the school premises regularly ensuring a clean and hygienic environment. Also, anyone entering the school (teachers, students, staff) should sanitize their hands.

•          Keep a check on symptoms: Anyone feeling sick, having a cold or fever should be encouraged to stay at home.

•          Keep children informed: It is important for the school staff to educate children about the right precautions to follow and motivate them to adopt healthy habits.

Administrators can only put-up safety precautions in school during covid 19, it is students, staff and teachers who need to follow these to avoid any mishaps.

What can you do as parents?

As parents, people are scared to send their children back to schools. The fear and doubt can only be resolved with cooperation and right precautions for school reopening. Here is what the parents can do:

•          Counsel your kids: Lockdown and Covid have impacted everyone mentally and emotionally. While elders are doubtful if they should send their children to school, children are troubled too. It’s been a long time since they have attended offline classes, met their friends, have interacted and studied together. Initially, it might appear extraneous for them to cope up with everything. You should talk to your children and try to understand their mental state.

•          Help them adjust: The “new normal” is hectic and inexplicable for everyone, as parents one needs to help their children understand and follow the necessary precautions. The younger children especially need to be taught how to adjust while attending offline classes.

•          Maintain hygiene at home: It is as important to follow safe practices against Covid-19 at home as in schools. Parents should take care that the belongings of their children are sanitized every day after coming back from school.

•          Keep an eye on symptoms: If your child is feeling sick in any way, feeling cold, or having a high temperature, they should take a leave. Take proper care of them to recover and if things go beyond consult a doctor. 

School environment has an integral part in shaping children’s thoughts, behavior, skills and more. Online schooling is indeed a good way to during the pandemic but in the longer run this concept proves to be fatal for rich learning. As Covid cases are on a decreasing trend, many states have opened up the schools for the senior section and are planning to open the primary section as well. While there are many precautions to be taken, how can schools reopen safely still remains a foggy question. In this uncertainty, it might be a difficult decision to send back your children to school, but given the thought of the need for opening schools, it is worth it for everyone to align with the “new normal”.