Opposing online classes, parents send kids to school in Punjab’s Sangrur despite Covid curbs

Residents of Jhaloor near Sangrur district’s Lehragaga pass resolution in a panchayat meeting requesting authorities to reopen government schools in village

Parents with the help of members of farmer organisations on Friday sent their children to Government High School, Jhaloor, near Lehragaga of Sangrur district despite Covid-19 restrictions and appealed to teachers to take their physical classes.

Children sitting on the ground at Government High School, Jhaloor, near Lehragaga of Sangrur district.

Also, the locals passed a resolution in a panchayat meeting and requested the authorities to consider reopening of the government primary and high schools.

“We passed a resolution in the gram panchayat. The online classes are not appropriate way of teaching. When the entire state is witnessing election rallies, the government should open schools,” said Gurlal Singh, the Lehra block chief of the Bhartiya Kisan Union’s Sidhupur faction.

Sukhdev Singh, in-charge Government High School Jhaloor, said, “Parents and locals raised slogans and sent students to the school. But we did not give them permission to sit in classes. We will follow the directions of the education department and open schools only after the government’s orders.”

In Barnala, members of social organisations, farmer outfits and parents also staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner opposing online classes and demanded that schools be opened at the earliest.

Barnala chief of BKU (Ugrahan) Chamkour Singh said, “We submitted a memorandum seeking reopening of schools in the district. The government is playing with the future of our children. Online classes are ruining the education system.”

Barnala DC Kumar Sourabh Raj said he will send the memorandum to the state home department which will take a decision in this regard.