As the third wave of the pandemic is wreaking havoc in India, the government in the southern state of Kerala seems unflinching with the recent developments, as the state has not ordered the closure of educational institutions. On Thursday, Minister of Education, V Sivankutty met the press and made it clear that the government has no plans to close schools or colleges in the state.
Students need hybrid mode of education
The statement from Sivankutty came at a time when the state witnessed over 4,500 fresh positive cases. Moreover, the number of Omicron cases is also increasing in Kerala. According to the latest statistics, there are more than 280 Omicron patients in the southern state.
It should be noted that most of the colleges in Kerala are currently operating with 100 percent occupancy, and authorities have already stalled the online mode of learning.
Citing an example, the Government Law College in Thrissur is resuming complete offline classes from Monday, January 10, 2021. College authorities have already made it clear that there will be no online classes from Monday, which makes it difficult for several students to attend the lessons. Moreover, in a college like GLC Thrissur, students from different parts of the state are coming, and it will literally elevate the chances of a community spread.
"We need both online and offline modes of education. Students who wish to attend the online classes can attend that, while students who wish to attend offline can come to college. We really do not know why authorities decided to completely stop online classes. We are literally scared, as Omicron is already on our doorsteps. In our class, there are 100 students. As gatherings are restricted, I really wonder how 100 people can gather in non-ventilated rooms in our college," said a final year student from Government Law College Thrissur, who wished to stay anonymous.
Kerala government's move may turn suicidal
In the initial days of the pandemic, the Kerala government was very successful in flattening the Covid chaos curve. However, things soon went out of hands, and Covid literally wreaked chaos in the state.
And now, when the third wave of the pandemic is spreading like wildfire in India, the Kerala government's move to continue offline classes may turn suicidal in the coming days. A possible community spread of Omicron in colleges and schools may literally put the state in trouble, and if it happens, Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government will be completely responsible.
