Schools in Nepal demand reopening as virus cases decline

Kathmandu Feb 7 (BNA): Schools in Nepal on Sunday asked the government to open classes that have been closed for weeks as the number of COVID-19 cases started to decline.

Educators said online education was being restricted to only a small portion of the population who live in urban parts of the Himalayan country while the majority of students are being denied their opportunity to learn, the Associated Press reported.

The number of coronavirus cases fueled by the omicron variant has peaked in the past weeks but has declined in the past few days.

“We are ready to open schools, students are eager to come back, parents are ready to send their children, the number of virus cases is declining, so there is no reason for the government to continue with the school ban,” said Tika Ram Puri, head of the boarding and private schools organization in Nepal.

Puri said they want schools to reopen by next week.

“The standard of education is deteriorating and students are getting a wrong idea about education in the country due to the long and frequent closure of schools,” said Sanjena Jumja, a science teacher at the secondary school. “Students in the villages haven’t received much education in the past two years.”

Students across Nepal queued for prayers at a Hindu deity temple on Sunday as the country celebrated the annual Basant Panchami festival that marks the coming of spring.

Goddess Saraswati is considered the god of wisdom, knowledge and learning. The students used to celebrate Eid in their schools but they were all at home this year.

“Schools should open soon because we students are facing a lot of problems like broken internet, blackouts and disturbances at home and we are not able to study well,” said Ropita Karke, a 12th grader. “Schools need to open but there must be safety measures such as mandatory face masks and the use of sanitizers.”

Some of the students were still worried.

Apsara Shrestha, a university student specializing in social work, said the coronavirus remains a concern and opposes the reopening of schools. “What if the students get sick or even die?”

Nepal has fully vaccinated 52 percent of the population including students and children aged 12 and over. It has reported more than 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11,803 deaths since the pandemic began.

The government imposed strict restrictions last month as virus cases hit a record high. Schools were closed, citizens were ordered to carry vaccination cards in public, religious festivals were banned and theaters closed. Malls, markets and restaurants were allowed to serve only a small number of customers wearing masks. No date has been set for lifting the restrictions.

The government has also limited road traffic, with a ban on alternating days for vehicles with odd or even plates.

MI