THE federal government announced late last month (Feb 25) that all schools across the country will revert to the regular physical classes across the week. I have a straightforward question to the minister concerned: has the coronavirus been eliminated from Pakistan? If that is not the case, which surely it is not, the decision is not in the larger interest of the students, the teachers and everyone else concerned.

The recent spike in both the number of fresh cases and deaths — from 23 deaths reported on March 1 to 75 on March 4 – is proof enough that the time in not right to lift restrictions related to Covid-19. Following the government announcement, most schools abruptly suspended their online classes which had been a reasonable alternative for parents who are not in a state of denial and believe that the virus is not a myth, and also understand the magnitude of this global pandemic.

Why such parents are being forced to send their children to school when there has been an alternative available? The ones who choose to send their children to school should do so. But the ones who do not want to send their children amid this pandemic are not doing so due to paranoia, but due to the grim reality of the times we are living in. The least the government can, and should, do is to emphasise that the schools having the capacity to offer online classes should continue to do so. It is the responsibility of the government to make everyone feel safe, not vulnerable or helpless. Please do not put any matter above the safety of our children.

Amatuz Zahra Rizvi

Islamabad

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THERE should be no physical classes in schools for children until Pakistan is completely Covid-19-free. Majority of parents will bear me out that our little loved ones should not be subjected to unnecessary health risk when the pandemic is still around till God knows when.

Another important point is that even though the private schools have all the right to make profits through charging school fees, their owners should realise that their current operating expenses are certainly not that hefty compared to what they used to be by the end of 2019 when on-site classes were in full swing.

Hence, those elements of the school fee that are separate from the tuition fee should definitely be curtailed so as to provide some relief to the parents in the existing pandemic scenario.

Just a minor cut in profit margin in these circumstances will constitute a highly noble act, to say the least. I would urge the government and the higher judiciary to help in bringing down the charges of those parts of school fee that are not critical for online classes.

Umar M. Makhdumi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2021