‘My Child has Forgotten how to Read’

Q. Is your child attending school regularly? Have they got masks and sanitisers from the government?

Parent: Yes, children have been going to school regularly 15 November 2021 onwards. Masks have been provided by the school.

Q. Did you receive any instructions before sending your child to school?

Parent: The head teacher of the school had told us we have to take special care of cleanliness and things like masks while sending our child to the school. In case our child has symptoms like cough, fever, we were asked to not send them to school.

Q3. Are children also being taught online? If yes, are you satisfied with the education provided through this mode?

Parent: No, at present studies are offline. I believe that children were not able to learn much when they were being taught through the online medium.

Q. Have you noticed any change in your child’s interest towards studying since the schools have reopened?

Parent: The schools were closed for more than one year, so the children have become careless towards studies and have lagged behind. Online education has not been taken seriously by the children, so teachers will have to work hard to bring the children to their earlier learning levels.

Q. Are your children getting any kind of worksheets from their teachers? Are there discussions concerning your child’s learning with their teachers?

Parent: The children have been getting homework since the school reopened. Also, the teachers are discussing children's learning levels with us. A lot of hard work needs to be put in with the children to cover the learning loss.

Q. Has your child received a stipend for their uniform from the school?

Parent: Yes, we received school uniforms in June. Though, no scholarship money has been given to children this year.

Q. This phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has been very difficult for children as well as all of you parents. Are there any thoughts that you would like to share with us?

Parent: It has been almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In that time, children’s studies have been adversely affected due to school closure. My child forgot how to read and his learning level has dropped significantly.

I drive a taxi and during this period my work has also been affected badly, due to which my family had to face financial difficulties. We did not even have enough money to get the mobile recharged for our child to join online classes. In such a situation, our child used to take part in his classes from a relative's place in the neighbourhood, using their mobile phone.

This interview was conducted with a parent in Himachal Pradesh in Hindi on 29 December 2021, and has been translated.

Source: TESS India