Delhi schools to reopen: Tiffin preps and alarms are back, say parents

The number of Covid cases in Delhi has gone down and schools have been permitted to re-open from November 1. This applies to primary classes as well.

It’s been a long year-and-a-half for students since schools first shut down due to Covid-19. However, as Delhi returns to normalcy, schools in the city are ready to welcome back students for in-person classes after November 1. And while students and parents see this as a welcome change, returning to the traditional schooling routine will be no child’s play. From having to wake up early to getting kids (and themselves) back in a routine will be tricky, feel parents of school going kids in the Capital.

Schools in Delhi have been permitted to reopen from November 1 for all classes. (Photo: Deepak Gupta/ HT (For representational purposes only))

For Model Town resident Ankita Sarda, this means the end of a flexible lifestyle. “Now, we’ll have to start following a strict routine. The kids’ sleep timings were flexible so far but now early bedtime has to be in place. My morning workouts would be replaced by lunch box preparation and getting my kid ready for school! But yes, I can plan my day better now that school will reopen and I won’t have to be restricted to the house all day,” says the mother of a second grader and a toddler.

Schools had reopened for higher classes in September this year. (Photo: Raj K Raj/HT (For representational purposes only))

And while preparing tiffin is one task, deciding what to make, is another! Geeta Verma, an entrepreneur from Patparganj, whose daughter attends the sixth grade, says, “Thinking of what to make for lunch is as it is tough and now this would have to be done early morning as I would have to pack it for my daughter! Abhi toh jab bhi bhook lagti thi, I would cook something for her.”

Nidhi Dhull, an advocate and social activist from Saket, feels that schools opening will again make holidays feel special for her son, who is in the first standard. “Children will enjoy the charm of holidays once again, after a long time. My son is excited to meet his classmates face-to-face. Finally, this will give me free hours during the day for some me time,” she says.

Along with some personal time, getting back to work with more focus is also a possibility now. Anandika Leekha Tandon, mother of a five-year-old and a businesswoman from Sarvodaya Enclave shares, “I’m glad we’ll be able to get back to work full-time once the kids go back to school.”

However, for some parents, schools reopening also means making sure their kids keep up with their peers. “We were taking it slow initially, as we were getting used to the online setup. We thought it was all too much to take for the kids during the lockdown. So last year, we didn’t attend classes properly. This was when she was in KG. She’s in first grade now and have a lot to catch up on,” says Garima Sharma, a homemaker from Model Town.

Author tweets @anjuri

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