Some posers to govt.

The long and scary wait is over. Wide-eyed and tentative Sri Lanka’s future is stepping out to go to school. For Sri Lanka’s children it has been nearly two long years of abnormal childhood. For their protection, they were locked downed, denied freedom, education, and physical contacts, friends, and some even experienced grief of losing parents or a loved one to the pandemic. Let’s hope they are not too scarred by the experience and the children’s natural resilience will come to their rescue. They could have started school earlier but for the irresponsible behaviour of the parents, which brought about lockdowns. Let’s hope lessons are learnt and they will behave responsibly this time in following health guidelines so the country will not have to be closed again.

What is in store for our children in schools when they return to school? Are the teachers ready with amended curriculums, or will the children be thrown into a vortex of a disorganised educational system, to pick up the threads by themselves. What preparations has the Education Ministry done to meet the new challenges brought about by the pandemic and school closures?

Students have forgotten what they learned and where they left off. They will have trouble understanding concepts. Are they to be driven by stick and ridicule as most teachers do? Or, are there any fresh/innovative guidelines? What about shortcomings in the online education? Did every child have access to it?

Shouldn’t there be a think tank or a task force to handle this unprecedented situation, to take stock, analyze, find ways and means of minimising the damage and may be even coming out of it stronger and better? It can be done with thinking out of the box with the right people in the right places taking informed, scientific and bold decisions. But seeing the poor revolting teachers on the streets and governments inactions, one is left with serious doubts about the younger generation’s chances of post pandemic recovery.

Citizen S