Responsibility for keeping kids safe is on all of us

Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad. File pic

Maharashtra is re-opening schools for Stds I to VII offline, which means physical learning from December 1. Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad stated that the decision to start these have been made after extensive discussions with various agencies, primary being the Paediatric Task Force.

The accent has to be on safety and one has to keep in mind that these are very young children. It is good if parents start educating their children, adding emphasis on the safety aspect in their preparations to go to school.

One also has to iron out various problems like how the child will get to school. It is vital that the mode of transport is not too crowded, we have seen smaller children literally stuffed in auto rickshaws in the past, even sharing a seat with the driver. This was dangerous then, and doubly so in these times.

School buses, if used, must be sanitised and the attendants and driver vaccinated. Schools have to be clear on the vaccination status of their support staff. Cleaners and others who are part of the wheels of the school structure have to practise strictest hygiene, be aligned with the school's vaccination status, be masked and follow all other Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that must now have become second nature to us because of the pandemic.

The school premises itself must be thoroughly cleaned. The washrooms have to be sanitised regularly and with much more frequency than before, given the large number of children who will be using them. Clear instructions about cleanliness and hygiene at all washrooms are non-negotiable.

Parents will have to be alert and alive to any signs or symptoms in their children, or themselves, so that they can be at home, in case of any problem, and a test clears any doubts. With greater numbers, and especially our children, comes greater responsibility. Let us live up to that.