Delhi Schools not to open until after July, Virtual Classes shall continue, micro-plans for reopening in the offing

Vinod Kakumanu
July 18, 2020, 5:52 p.m.

As Delhi witnesses a worrying escalation of the Covid-19 situation, reports are streaming in that schools might not open even in July.

In all likelihood, the virtual classes are going to keep the children and the teachers busy once the summer break ends.

Virtual Teaching-Learning has found new dimensions since the lockdown was first announced in March. There are growing concerns among the observers that the digital divide that exists in India will exacerbate the logistical and operational difficulties of conducting schools online.

Around mid-June, all principals of Delhi schools were asked to come up with a “micro-plan” for reopening the schools by Education Minister Manish Sisodia. He explained the need for micro-managing the reopening of the schools through micro-plans by saying that a general plan is very likely to end up being unfit for many schools. He shared his views while there were 1,000 school principals in attendance.

”The reason we are following an elaborate planning process is that we need to keep many factors in mind before making a decision. It is not just about maintaining social distancing or sanitization alone or calling one set of classes to school and not the others. Any decision will have far-reaching implications on children and their families because school is an integral part of our social life. It is not just about learning a few lessons from the textbooks but the lessons of life itself. Therefore, any plan should keep in mind all possible situations.” Said the minister.