The pandemic and reopening schools

While discussing school safety amidst the pandemic, it is important to deliberate upon not just the safe re-opening of schools but also on innovative mechanisms of education delivery to the vulnerable and at-risk children in the country. This issue of Southasiadisasters.net takes a look at all such diverse themes under the broad umbrella of school safety in India. This issue also documents the experiences of various state governments such as Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh in their efforts to safely re-open schools in their respective states.

It has been almost 18 months since the schools in India were closed indefinitely following the lockdown in March 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the adverse impacts of the pandemic have been felt across all sectors ranging from public health to the economy, it is perhaps the learning outcomes of India’s school going children that have been the hardest hit. According to an estimate by UNESCO, the indefinite school closures have impacted more than 320 million students in India.