As Maharashtra mulls reopening schools, here's what task force on children says

Maharashtra government is expecting a rise in Covid-19 cases between September 15 and the first week of October, which could also be the beginning of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Maharashtra is poised to take a decision in the next few days on reopening schools in the state, the Covid-19 task force on children has stressed vaccinating teachers and non-teaching staff must be prioritised among other things. Bachchu Kadu, Maharashtra minister of state for school education, said on Thursday the decision on reopening schools would be taken in the next two days. Kadu said a meeting in this regard will be held in the next few days. "Schools have started in other states of the country and should be started in the state as well. But the decision will have to be taken carefully considering the fact that Maharashtra has the highest number of active cases after Kerala,” Kadu said.

Classes must be sanitised and there must be a monitoring system in place in all schools. (AFP Photo/Representative Image)

Physical classes in schools were shut in Maharashtra in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the state. Schools in rural areas were allowed to resume physical classes for Class 8 to 12 students on July 12 but only in areas where Covid-19 cases are minimal.

The pediatric task force has discussed the plan with the state school education department officials to reopen schools in the state and wants to ensure schools are fully prepared and physical classes will not lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases.“We also want the schools to be reopened but with certain precautions as we are concerned about their health. Children are definitely suffering from mental health issues and nutrition and thus schools should be reopened but in a safe environment," Dr Bakul Parekh, a member of the pediatric task force, said.

The paediatrician task force was formed by the Maharashtra government in May to prevent children from contracting Covid-19 amid fears of a possible third wave of the pandemic.

The task force has recommended that teaching and non-teaching staff of schools should be vaccinated and there must be proper seating arrangements in classes and one bench should be reserved for one student only. "If possible, schools with online teaching infrastructure can simultaneously hold physical as well as online classes. Students can attend (in-person) classes by rotation,” Parekh said.

Classes must be sanitised and there must be a monitoring system in place in all schools. The school staff should also be trained to deal in case of a medical emergency, Parekh added.

Schools should divide students into two batches and they should be called for physical classes on alternate days, he said. "For example, half of the students can be called today and the rest tomorrow and at the same time online classes can also be continued,” he said.

Sports activities, which require close contact, should be avoided. Schools can also be started in a staggered manner by allowing some classes now and increasing them later based on the situation and if in case any rise is observed they can be stopped immediately. Parekh said vehicles ferrying school children should not have closed windows and they should have sufficient ventilation.

“The task force has suggested the school administration to hold parent-teacher meetings before re-opening schools. At these meetings, parents should be apprised about precautions schools will be taking for the safety of students," Parekh said.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the state government planned to fully vaccinate all teaching and non-teaching staff before the reopening of schools. The state health minister Rajesh Tope also said on August 29 that they are working on vaccinating all teaching and non-teaching staff by September 5.

Based on predictions by experts, the state government is expecting a rise in Covid-19 cases between September 15 and the first week of October, which could also be the beginning of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The steady rate of daily cases of Covid-19 has become a cause of concern for officials. Maharashtra still has more than 50,000 active cases and they are hovering around between 50,000 and 51,000 for the past week.