Declare 2020 as zero academic year, say parents

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, July 28

The All India Parents’ Association (AIPA), a national-level body of parents and guardians of the school students, has asked the Union and the state government to declare this year as the zero academic year in view of the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The AIPA has shown opposition to the idea of opening schools or academic institutions unless a vaccine is developed and made available.

At the association’s central committee meeting, the association had raised the demand, along with 10 other demands. Claiming that the present academic year had been marred completely by the ongoing pandemic, Ashok Aggarwal, chief, AIPA, said: “The so-called online classes held by schools at their level with limited resources is not serving the purpose as many students belonging to poor and middle-class families haven’t been able to attend these due to lack of smartphones and Internet facility.”

The government should not lose time in declaring the present academic session as the zero year, and promote all students with a condition that they will have to cover two years’ curriculum next year so that the loss accrued could be made up.

He said the AIPA believed that there was no need to open the schools in haste, as with the pandemic threat still looming large, the situation could spiral out of control.

Seeking a comprehensive change in the rules concerning school education, he said the government should bring all private schools under the purview of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) so that exploitation of students and parents in the name of fee and other charges could be controlled.

The other demands raised included midday meal facility to all students in government schools, free education to students studying in public-funded schools till Class XII, and filling up of vacancies in the government-owned schools.