Beginning with class 9 onwards, schools in Delhi have finally reopened from today, February 7. Come February 14, all classes from nursery onwards will also be allowed to attend in-person classes. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia visited the Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya to meet happy faces. Most of the students he spoke to were enthusiastic about coming back to the classroom even though the fear of Covid lurked in the back of their minds. One student of class 9, Sneha broke down with sheer relief at being able to be back in the class in the presence of education minister Manish Sisodia.
With a partially blind father and a barely functional phone, it was difficult for her to cope with her studies. Wiping off her tears, Sneha said, “we had a problem regarding phones, I had great difficulty in trying to manage, my father is partially blind and therefore could not support me much”.
Schools will run in the hybrid mode even now and there is no cap of the 50 per cent capacity of each classroom, however, parents’ consent is still mandatory in Delhi. News18 ‘s Rupashree Nanda caught up with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister, Manish Sisodia on the road ahead.
CNN News 18: How confident are you that this process which has started now will be successful now?
Manish Sisodia: I have full confidence in the kids and also in the teachers. This is because we have seen that last time when schools were reopened, Covid protocols were followed more diligently here than in marketplaces. Especially, kids followed every protocol that was put in place. Now, when schools have reopened after such a long time, there is a conviction among both students and teachers that protocol will be followed.
CNN News18: What is the status of vaccination and is that a concern for you?
Manish Sisodia: In Delhi, the vaccination drive has been conducted with speed. After the adult population, a great percentage of kids have also been vaccinated. In government schools, 95 per cent of kids have been vaccinated. In private schools, around 50 per cent of kids have been vaccinated. In government and private schools, almost 100 per cent of the school staff has been vaccinated and we have made this rule that only those teachers and staff who have been vaccinated would attend school. The rest will not be called.
CNN News18: You have decided that nursery classes onwards will also be reopened from February 14th onwards. What are the challenges?
Manish Sisodia: Challenges are that students have been through a lot – seen their schools shut down, dealt with the lockdown, they have seen economic ups and downs in the family – they have gone through much more. Schools are not just about books and learning. Schools is a support system for the child in his or her growth. That has been missing from the lives of children. They are coming out of a different phase and therefore paying attention to their emotional well being is very important. It is not as if teachers had a great time either. Teachers have also gone through the same period. So it is a challenge. But, yes, we are here to accept the challenge.
CNN News18: What about the vaccination of teachers as you have kept a rule that those teachers who have not been vaccinated cannot attend?
Manish Sisodia: Each one of them is being vaccinated on priority. Teachers and staff have been vaccinated. In both government and private schools, almost 100 per cent of staff have been vaccinated. However, for some reason, if a person has not been vaccinated, for now, I have or she has been barred from attending school.
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