How can we open schools safely?
With schools being shut for almost a year creating a huge education gap, the government is facing the formidable challenge of how to open schools safely. We welcome the launching of "Safe Back to School" project by 15 international NGOs including Save the Children, Brac, World Vision and Plan International with the objective of working with the government in the next six months to ensure the safe return of students to school. Given our reality of how most schools in Bangladesh are—with overcrowded classrooms, lack or dearth of hand washing facilities and toilets, among other impediments—this is a prudent move. The wide experience these organisations have in the field as well as expertise knowledge on how to implement safety guidelines will be a great support for the government in tackling this challenge.
The project aims to address mental health issues related to Covid-19, ensuring proper facilities such as soap, disinfectant, masks and water supply as well as having mass awareness campaigns to bring girl children who have dropped out during the pandemic, back to school.
There is also the challenge of how to make up for the education gap that has occurred due to the pandemic despite efforts by the government to introduce alternative learning methods such as remote learning through the national TV channel, online classes and assignment-based assessments. This is because many children live in remote areas where TVs, smart phones and Internet are inaccessible. Most children come from poor families already struggling to put food on the table and simply cannot afford TVs or smartphones. Thus opening up schools seems to be the only way for these children to continue learning. The impact on their mental health at being deprived of social contact with friends and teachers and the anxiety brought on by the loss in education are also significant.
But safety of course must take priority and this is something the government has stressed on. It is therefore commendable that this project will work with schools and communities to make the schools ready to take back the students while ensuring their safety. Needless to say this will be a hard task but not an impossible one. Getting all teachers and staff vaccinated would be a smart move in this endeavour. We are not sure when the schools will be able to implement all the measures and it would have been prudent to start the process long before. But it is crucial that schools are not opened in haste without ensuring the health protocols. We are now at a point when the death rate has been reduced and vaccines have begun to be rolled out. The last thing we need is a massive outbreak of the infection because schools have opened without such protocols being properly implemented.
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