Covid third wave has brought another set of doubts in the minds of parents regarding various aspects of school admissions. The questions about how to find schools, visit them, fill out forms, send their ward offline or continue virtually, etc. make parents even more perplexed. Well, admissions during the Covid-19 pandemic can be difficult, it cannot be postponed given the already degrading learning infrastructure. As in the words of Niranjanaradhya VP, development educationist, mentor of SDMCs, “Educational costs of condemning entire generations of children to a lifetime of illiteracy and ignorance must not be taken lightly.” So, while the pandemic is going to stay here for an uncertain period, it is better to get used to living with its existence. The following content piece addresses some of the points that can help you secure Admissions during Covid in the best schools for your child. 

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The admission process in the best boarding schools in Dehradun consists of various steps including researching about schools, talking to them, understanding the curriculum, applying for admissions, entrance tests, interviews, fee submission, and finally admission. Due to the surge in Covid cases, the educational institutions have adapted technology-based methods making the admission process and management hassle-free without the need to visit the school. Following are some of the key things for parents which can help in securing admission at the Best ICSE Schools in Thiruvananthapuram in the era of social distancing.

Get advice from experts

Schooling holds key importance in a child’s overall development and thus choosing the right school has its significance. This starts with shortlisting the school that meets your requirements. Be it the ICSE schools or the Best CBSE Schools in Bhopal, many factors come into play like the school infrastructure, curriculum, teachers, etc. You can take help from admission counselors to get an idea about your available options, fee details, board, etc., or do the research online.

Schedule video visits

It is not safe to visit the schools during covid times, but the Best CBSE Schools in Nagpur have made this easier with video visits. Parents can interact with the teachers, and administration through video conferencing to clear their doubts. Furthermore, a video visit also gives an idea about other aspects like infrastructure, classroom, educational amenities, labs, etc. 

Online applications

Well, once a parent is confirmed about the Best CBSE Schools in Nashik, they can apply for admissions and proceed with further steps. Here the online application medium comes into play. Parents can easily apply to schools online without the hectic way of visiting schools and collecting forms. Once parents register for the school, they further inform them about steps for enrollment in the Best ICSE Schools in Baroda. 

Online assessments

Online assessments have replaced the traditional entrance tests for admission during the pandemic. While many Best ICSE Schools in Indore also consider admission based on merit, most of them have either online tests, virtual interviews or both included in their admissions process. 

Digital Fee Payment 

Once the child clears the eligibility criteria for admissions(test or interview) the parents can submit the fees through an online payment method. The online gateways are seamless ways to deposit the admission fee and finalize admissions at Best ICSE Schools in Bhubaneswar. 

Covid pandemic has indeed brought the education sector into disarray. But with time and effective planning, things can be made better. Pedagogy has witnessed numerous changes in the last two years from learning approaches to operations. The technology-based admission process is essential to tide over this pandemic era. And only a balanced system by corporations of parents and education institutions can be effective in overcoming this challenge of admission during Covid. 

Find the Best Boarding Schools in Nainital here. 

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The beginning of 2022 has also initiated a rapid rise in the number of Covid cases in India. Given the current circumstances, it is quite certain that the third wave is ‘almost inescapable’. Most of the states have already shut down the schools and the other states are planning for the same. Switching back to online classes is again a challenge but amidst the chaos, it looks like the only option left for the safety of students. The following content piece evaluates the situation of Covid Lockdown And Schools.

India reported around 37,000 Covid cases on 3rd January 2022 bringing the active cases tally to more than 1 lakh, after growing exponentially since last week. With such a surge of cases, Indian states have rolled out new guidelines and restrictions among which the first one is closing the educational institutions. As of now schools in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, and Goa are closed for offline classes. While in other states like Uttar Pradesh, schools are closed due to winter vacations and the government is yet to decide about reopening them. So, if there will be another lockdown due to Covid, schools need to prepare beforehand to handle the virtual classes effectively. 

Vaccination for kids

Among the new guidelines and restrictions, the government has also started the vaccination for kids between the ages of 15 to 18 from 3rd January. And on the first day of children vaccination, more than 40 lakh teens got their jabs. The children are supposed to receive Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, in two doses 28 days apart. The ongoing vaccination drives might reduce some of the stress of the parents. But the children who are not in this age bracket are still under the question mark for safety. While some states have closed the schools, other states like Karnataka have imposed restrictions in schools to delay the functions and programs till Jan 15. Also, only the children whose parents have got both vaccination doses are allowed to attend the offline classes. The same guidelines are for boarding schools in Karnataka. 

Challenges in online classes

Online classes might be the present solution to ensure the safety of kids, it is not a feasible option for learning. Offline classes have always been appreciated for their all-inclusive, effectiveness, and measurable stand which cannot be achieved in an offline class setting. Besides, numerous challenges like lack of teacher’s training for online classes, digital divide, communication and understanding gap, etc. affect the learning progress of children. The prime advantage of a physical classroom is studying with peers, the absence of which in online classes leads to increased cases of mental health issues. All of this cannot forget the exclusion of sports and co-curricular curbing the innate interests and talents of students. 

As of now, schools can wait till the situation gets normal and schools are opened again. While the states where schools are still functioning offline can ensure the surveillance and safety of students with updated techniques for surveillance like AI-powered temperature monitoring, rapid action team to handle complexity, rotational hours, small class strength, and sanitization of premises at short intervals. Considering the day school and boarding schools, surveillance and safety are easier to implement in boarding schools as compared to day schools as the children, staff, and visitors are limited. And the resources can be optimally utilized. But when it comes to day schools, the resources are limited and the diversity of students is broad which increases the complexity in monitoring. 

This is a tough time for everyone, and the constant shutting down of schools is degrading the education infrastructure, reducing the quality of education, and passing out unskilled students which is again a bigger problem for the future which demands an implementable action plan to improve K12 education degradation due to Covid and shutting down of schools. Find the best boarding schools in Karnataka here.

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Covid is back with another variant, Omicron and the slowly regained pace of the world is again foggy with so many questions and doubts. The fear of another global surge of Covid-19 cases is sending jitters around the corner, spurring a new round of restrictions. The schools just reopened offline classes are again reconsidering if it is a good idea to call children to attend offline school. Before things go out of hand, it’s time to reanalyze things and reckon the possible effect of the Omicron variant on education infrastructure.

Education sector under the Omicron distress

Two men were tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid on Thursday, 2nd December in Karnataka. These were the first two cases of the variant in India, and in less than a week the cases have reached 23 in four states Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Rajasthan. This is a matter of concern and can be a projection for the third wave. 

While keeping a note of testing, case numbers, and tracing the affected people is one side of the row, the other one has concerns for what should be done to protect the people. When the first two Omicron cases were found in Karnataka, the government imposed some restrictions delaying the functions and gatherings in schools and universities for two months. And with the rising number of cases, new restrictions have been announced. The Karnataka government has announced that the children of only vaccinated parents (both doses) are allowed to attend offline classes. But the concern does not end at restrictions, the prominent question here is whether continuing offline classes should be the case for kids who are not vaccinated even with a single dose and under the radar of infection more than adults or any other part of society. And in such circumstances, closing schools once again makes the education sector back to where it was months ago. 

What can be done? Is my child safe?

The schools started taking classes offline after a very long time. Although online education was playing its part, the actual crux of learning was missing. Slowly and steadily, children were back to school but the new variant has spoiled the growth and has pushed parents back to the corner of doubt and fear. 

Revenue minister R Ashoka said after a meeting that the Omicron-induced diseases are milder and not as fatal as reported unofficially. The center has asked the NCBS – National Centre for Biological Sciences to prepare a detailed report after which the impact of variants can be known. 

Well, it is too early to decide and come to a conclusion that the Omicron variant is more deadly or dangerous. WHO and GlaxoSmithKline and various scientists have found the Covid vaccine to be seemingly effective against the new variant and there is no evidence that it is more fatal than other Covid variants. WHO earlier labeled Omicron as a mutation variant of serious cases has now said that vaccines are likely to protect against the most severe cases. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan tweeted that vaccination and public health measures can combine an effective strategy against the Omicron variant. 

Is the variant severe for kids?

Dr. H.K. Mahajan, Anaesthesiologist at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj said that as the Omicron variant is concerned, there is no hazard to children as people are panicking. But as a country, we are prepared as we have sufficient pediatric wards and pediatricians and needed infrastructure. 

Besides, there is a lot of evidence that says it is too soon to worry about the severe impact of the Omicron variant, it cannot be taken lightly too. The decision of the Karnataka government to allow children whose parents have taken both doses of vaccination is well thought out and other states need to take their steps towards the safety of children. As of now social distancing, encouraging wearing masks, and getting vaccinated (for those who haven’t) is the need of the hour. And the people who are feeling sick are encouraged to be at home and parents to take special care of their wards especially if they are sending them to school.

Omicron variant on education infrastructure– The precautions

If the online classes are an option, it will be great to consider that as the holiday season is approaching and along the same the need to emphasize on taking precautions becomes more essential than ever. As of now, the circumstances of sending the child to school is more or less the same as it was when schools reopened. But since the Omicron variant is out in India, it is better to be safe than at risk.

The admissions to the new session have already begun and most of the schools have made the process online. While parents are afraid to send their children to school, it can be the right decision considering the present situation. What will be the effect of the Omicron variant on education infrastructure can be a matter of discussion only after its analysis is completely done. As of now, parents are encouraged to take all precautions and encouraged for online classes and once things go back to normal, they can send their kids to school. 

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My memory takes me back to several decades ago when I got admission in my first school. Apart from the fact that it was the closest to my house, I think my cousin studying there was another consideration to seek admission in that school. Of course years later with my father’s job transfers we did change a couple of schools thereafter. What I am trying to drive the attention to, is the verity that the school admission procedure, over the years has drastically changed and how.

Being an education based entrepreneur, I interact with different set of parents across the globe. On several occasions I hear parents echoing anecdotes I had heard from parents in a different part of the world. This uniform sanctity towards education, in my initial days at work use to amaze me. What remains constant in every admission conversation is the gaining acceptance of learning being more child centric and enduring.

However the differences have also been great learnings.
While distance is one of the major determining factors, I have come across parents who are willing to travel that extra mile or relocate near a particular school if they sought admission there. Often these schools carry great prestige, have held fort for years, proven academic excellence through great results or in some cases offer great infrastructure and co-scholastic facilities. The point I am trying to make is that while the aim is predominantly quality of learning, the factors determining this quality differ from parent to parent.

Addressing the school admission situation in terms of the current scenario, the safety, sanitisation and digital interface of schools will be a key factor for parents to look out for while seeking admissions henceforth.
COVID 19 has forced all of us to face the reality that at times we have to fight for our safety against an unseen enemy, which is not easy. For the longest time the source of transmission remained unidentified thus one could only protect himself/herself by staying at home. Parents must understand that with the reopening, while schools will be making adequate arrangements to stagger seatings, limit the number of students and condemn all social gatherings, preparing the child for this new normal must start from home. If your child is just beginning school this procedure might be a tad easy as the child has no previous experience of being in school but if your child is joining a new school, it is important that at the time of admission as parents you take a proper understanding about social distancing norms in the school. Once the counsellor and school staff has briefed you, take time out with your child and take him/her through all the steps patiently. Answer your child’s question with apt rationale and if you do not know the answer ensure you make a follow up call to the school to clarify the same. A well informed child is always mentally strong in new circumstances.

While I am sure that by now, children are hands-on with hygiene basics, it is good to seek the school’s sanitisation protocol and educate yourself and your child with the same.

Lastly, while seeking admission parents must look out for the digital reach of the school. Is the staff trained to use online tools ? Does the school have an IT system in place that proactively disperses information even when the school is not functional ? Can assignments, reports cards and interaction with the principal be arranged virtually ? These are few questions that as parents you must dwell upon.

‘Going to school’ will change now for certain. Initially as parents you might have worried days thinking about your child at school. Some might even take admission but stick to the online classes. Learning, however will go on and sooner or later just as the masks have become an integral part of our clothing and sanitiser an essential in grocery list, we will overcome this and accept life in a new way.

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