Why that is the case has been propounding incessantly by this newspaper, echoing the conclusions of all respected and authoritative voices, including that of the United Nations Children's Fund, which ominously predicted decades-long repercussions of school closures that had already occurred in the South Asian nations.
But the education minister’s comment seems to reflect a shift in the official policy position, namely that schools can remain open given they comply with hygiene requirements. The implication of this decision is tremendous.
It is going to ensure, first and foremost, that students do not face the future ramifications that many fear might happen, or this will at least limit some of the negative impacts in the future. But more immediately, it will certainly help school administrations across the country, especially in the rural areas, to deliver regular education services with ease.
However, the minister’s comment must be officially adopted as a policy, as the comment was less definitive than one might hope. The minister expressed only a wish to not resort to school closure, saying it is not something the government “wants.”
We must go further than that.
It has to be a decisive position that schools will not close. It’s not clear why the minister wants to keep the possibility of further closures open. In theory, it is possible that the Covid situation will take an unprecedented turn, making it objectively necessary to revert to a lockdown policy. But everything is possible in theory.
The reality is that the pandemic situation is now at a place where shutdown measures are neither effective nor actually necessary, given vaccination coverage, availability of treatment, among other reasons. The government must enact a policy relating to school closure that reflects reality, which at this moment will be to stop any more closures.
