There are no two ways about it: The government’s recent decision to close schools for two weeks makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
What’s worse is that our policymakers are seemingly oblivious to the lack of any rationale for the reactionary step.
This newspaper has repeatedly taken the position for not resorting to school closure, which is a position echoed by all major health and development organizations, including, most significantly, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which has, in the recent past, warned South Asian countries that the interruption to education that has already occurred poses significant damage further down the line.
It is completely against prevailing evidence and realities on the ground to shut down schools again -- temporary or otherwise -- given that it is business as usual for banks, corporate offices, factories, markets, malls, and everything else.
It is true that there has been a rise in cases, but that cannot be the only signifier, especially considering that serious cases have been negligible and deaths are low. As of yesterday, the number of deaths remained in the single digit, and it has hardly been otherwise in the preceding weeks.
Taking all this into account, there appears to be no reason strong enough for causing another interruption in education for school students, who are already struggling to catch up to the immense gap created by prolonged closures.
The authorities must show greater foresight than this. The implications of closing schools which, to reiterate, UNICEF has warned could last for decades, is a real consequence that young school-goers will face in real life. There is no room for being less-than-prudent when the implications are of such magnitude.