Put off school reopening, say parents

Madurai: Parents of state board schools have expressed concern over the reopening of schools from June 7, as there is no respite from the summer heat. The Tamil Nadu government had already postponed the date of reopening for schools from June 1 (classes VI to XII) and June 5 (classes I to V) to June 7. “In my son’s school, more than 50 children sit in one classroom. In such a situation, it is bound to get hot, even with a fan on. Even in April, when classes were on, my son was exhausted when he came home. This would be the same in most schools,” said R Umadevi, a parent of a Class IV student of a private school. Another parent of a Class VII student of an aided school, R Vasanthi, was worried about her daughter getting sick due to the hot weather. “Children don’t pay much attention to simple things like drinking enough water while in school, which may lead to illnesses. Postponing the reopening date by a week shouldn’t affect schools. At least for classes I to VIII, the date could be postponed to June 14,” she added.The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has also been debating whether the reopening date should be postponed and pointed out that the health of children should always come first. “We are waiting a few days to see what the state government does. It also depends on the weather conditions. Otherwise, we will make a representation as there can be no compromise on children’s well-being,” said G Bala, Madurai district secretary, SFI. Teachers, however, said that starting the academic year early is preferred as children have been regularly going outdoors during the summer heat and does not make a big difference in classrooms.M Arumugam, state president, Federation of Private School Associations (FePSA), said that this year, private schools were open till the end of April. “Usually, summer vacation begins earlier in April in the first or second week so students have two months of summer holidays. Since this year’s classes went on till April end, it would be possible for schools to reopen by June 14 if it is announced so,” he added.