Schools in Kerala will open in phases once the Union government and agencies controlling the spread of COVID-19 approve it, said State Education Minister V Sivankutty at the Assembly session on Monday. He was answering questions concerning the mental health of school students who have been taking digital and online classes ever since COVID-19 struck the state last year.
Minister Sivankutty said that the government wants to vaccinate all the students before that, as per state and union government protocol. "Digital and online classes cannot be permanent. We have heard about Tamil Nadu and other states planning to open schools. We can also open our schools in phases once we get the approval from the union government and the concerned agencies of COVID-19 control," he said.
Narrating his experience at an online training class model, Minister Sivankutty said that the students preferred online classes to digital. "They said that during digital classes they could not see their teacher or ask doubts. They could not see their classmates either. But during online classes they could see teachers and friends and have exchanges with them."
Watch: Minister Sivankutty in Assembly
The minister also spoke of the various programmes in place for taking care of the mental health of students. 'Ullasaparavakal' is concerned with the education of life skills and children's mental health. Our Responsibility to Children or ORC is another programme for school students, for their mental and emotional welfare. Classes focussed on the mental health of children are also included among the digital classes. All these programmes are designed with the participation of parents.
"This year the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (overarching programme for school education sector) has been organising tele counselling programmes called 'Athijeevanam' for children and parents, with the the help of government hospital doctors. School teachers are also in contact with the students and parents over telephone to give mental and academic support," said Minister Sivankutty.