City parents divided over reopening of institutes

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 8

The state government on March 21 had announced the closure of all schools and colleges in the state till April 10 to as the state witnessed a sharp increase in Covid cases.

There has been no announcement yet on when schools will reopen, with parents seem to be divided over the issue.

While a few parents feel that schools should now reopen as it is admission season and their kids will remain at a disadvantage if they do not get admission in schools. The school managements, on the other hand, maintain that parents have been pressurising authorities to reopen schools.

On Wednesday, a section of the Parents’ Association held a meeting, during which the matter of reopening schools was also discussed.

Bhagwant Singh, president, Sanjha Punjab Sanjhi Awaz Manch, said presidents of parents’ association from across Punjab attended the meeting on Wednesday.

Sanjha Punjab Sanjhi Awaz Manch is an organisation in Punjab which raises issues regarding schools.

“All parents were against the decision to reopen schools as of now. Looking at the current Covid situation, it is up to the government to decide whether schools should be opened or not but parents are of the view that schools should remain shut,” said Bhagwant Singh.

He added that school managements were keen to open schools for vested interests.

“Admission season has begun and schools get the opportunity to mint money under the garb of admission fee, tuition fee and multiple other charges. Once the students secure admission in a school, parents will be forced to buy books from private publishers, which give commission to schools. For these vested interests, we cannot put our children’s lives at risk,” he added.

Meanwhile, principals of a few schools maintain that many parents were keen for schools to reopen their gates.

Nankana Sahib Public School principal Harmit Kaur said many parents had approached and requested me to open the school as studies were suffering.

Rita Malhotra, director of a playway school, said many parents wanted their kids to attend schools physically. “Parents are ready to even send kindergarteners to schools,” she added.

A parent said: “Since the government has no plan to vaccinate kids any time soon, how could they put the lives of kids at risk by exposing them to the virus.

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