Countdown to school

With Covid cases declining and the vaccination campaigns gaining momentum, the opening of schools will be a matter of time of months and days in the Sultanate.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the closure of schools has affected more than 156 million students and the losses children and young people incur from missing out on school may never be recouped.

The Sultanate has started taking initiatives to vaccinate school students in the age group 12 and above, including expatriate children from international schools.

The government aims to restart schools at the start of the new semester. But schools have added that vaccination is not compulsory for the students, but rather voluntary, according to the consent of the parent or the guardian.

Speaking to Observer, several parents expressed their willingness to send children to school if the conditions are conducive and safe.

“As we have seen with the results of board exams for students at Indian schools this year, that Covid has compromised the educational life of all students. While safety is paramount to all of us, the conventional school must return at the earliest,” Sidheshwar, whose child will appear for grade 10 exams this year.

It is not just the senior students who are affected, the younger ones are also missing out a lot on the development of communication skills, sports, physical activities, and dealing with the competition and challenges posed by other students.

“Online schools did serve their purpose well, but the time has come for the ‘real school.’ I think parents should also accept the assurances from the authorities when they say schools are safe,” said Nadia, an Egyptian expatriate who teaches a number of Omani students.

She added, “Compromising on classroom education for health safety was the need of the hour in 2020, but as we near 2022 the need of the hour is back to school.”

“From learning loss, mental distress, exposure to violence and abuse, or reduced development of social skills, the consequences for children will be felt in their academic achievement and societal engagement as well as physical and mental health,” UNICEF said.

“Remote learning has been a lifeline for many children around the world during school closures. But for the most vulnerable, even this was out of reach. It is urgent that we get every child back into the classroom now,” said Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Global Chief of Education.

They pointed to evidence that shows that schools are not among the main drivers of coronavirus transmission, and the decision on whether to open or close them should be based on risk analysis and the “epidemiological considerations” in communities where they are located.