I agree with @Terri Purvis view

Ahmed T. Hussein

Dear Professor,

Thank you for the interesting topic of discussion.

I am an Indian. Schools are closed in this country from March, 2020. Some schools have conducted online classes but that was possible mostly in urban areas. Briefly, schools started classes during the earlier part of this calendar year. Then they had to shut down again for the second wave. Now, there is a lot of hue and cry in India about starting of schools. Particularly, the private schools which are meant for elite classes of the society, are very interested to go ahead with offline classes. The government is very confused. This is because no one has the crystal globe. So, if schools reopen and there is a serious surge among school students, that would be difficult for the ruling political parties. This is very important because elections are coming up in many parts of India in 2022.

As a whole, the school education system in this country is controlled by school drop outs (mostly) and they want to sit in their chairs for a longer time. So they are not very thoughtful about what is happening in schools. They are rather worried about their images in the society for the upcoming elections.

Best regards,

Anamitra.

My country is the same situation as Jordan.

Parents do not trust to government in my country. However, the rate of vaccination is not enough and backing to the normal conditions is so hard and long.

In Bangladesh, students want to come back to classrooms. Many parents want their children go to classrooms. The government of the country is trying to vaccinate all teachers and adult students and is successful to some extent. The govt. is planning to vaccinate majority of the students and open university in the mid of October, the decision is yet to finalized.

To sum up, feelings of teachers, parents and even students are mixed but somehow are ready. Everything and everyone depend upon the decision of the govt.

Thank you dear Terri Purvis

Hi,

The start of the 2021 school year in Algeria comes in the middle of a health crisis. The increase of cases lately and the appearance of the Delta variant have only complicated the situation and have led to a postponement of the start of the school year for September 7. The parents of the students agree with this postponement because of their concern about the new variant, which affects even the children. In primary and secondary schools, since children less than 18 years old are not concerned by the vaccine, preventive measures have been taken to avoid any contact between students. Now, vaccination against covid-19 is no longer a choice in Algeria but an obligation for all education personnel before the resumption of classes.

With my best regards

Thank you dear Dr. Anamitra Roy for your comment.

I sincerely hope that the health scene in your country will improve. Without serious efforts to curb the pandemic and its variants, life will never go back to its normal rhythm. It is imperative that younger generations should not be denied the basic need of schooling. I pray this will be implemented sooner than later.

In Iraq, the Ministry of education & the Ministry of higher education has taken a decision to return students to school, provided that they receive the vaccine. Does the decision remain or change depending on what happens at the beginning of the shift?.

In my country, the possibilities of returning to classes for the month of November and December are being evaluated to advance with the vaccination throughout the country as planned. Although many efforts are being made to return to normality, everything must be evaluated correctly since the pandemic has forced many times to look for other avenues for classes. Best regards

Thank you dear Dr. Aref Wazwaz for your comment.

Thank you dear Dr. Alireza Khoshkonesh for your comment. Based on what you state about the conditions in your country, things are not going to be back to normal conventional teaching. Hope they will in the near future.

Thank you dear Dr. Safi Ullah for your comment. I hope by October the prospect of back-to-school would have improved and they would resume schooling in your country.

Thank you dear Dr. Doufnoune RACHIDA Rachida for your comment. I sincerely wish the health conditions would improve sooner than later in beloved Algeria. It is so unfortunate to hear about the latest surges and pray they vanish soon.

Stay healthy and safe!

Thank you dear Dr. Shaker A.N. Al-Jadaan for your comment. I hope that things will go all right for the resumption of face-to-face teaching by the beginning of the academic year back home!

Thank you dear Dr. Hendrics Ramos Companioni for your comment. It seems that the prospect in your country is not that different from here except that the academic year is going to start on October 1st.

Best regards!

Thank you dear Dr. Driss Benattabou

Best regards!

parents are relieved that their kids are back in school because the remote learning last year also interfered with their remote jobs/working from home. We are going to have an enormous amount of students/society with PTSD issues after this.

Any ways many efforts are being made to return to normality, everything must be evaluated correctly since the pandemic has forced many times to look for other avenues for classes.

Most of the Teachers & Parents have too interest to back-to- the educational institutes like school, college and university instantly.

Thank you dear Dr. Ca Dr. Gaurav Bhambri for your comments. I find the enthusiasm among parents, teachers, and students to resume the normal rhythm are are alike in various regions of the world. What remains is what you stated the probable hiccup that might hinder the back-to-school process, mainly a possible surge of the Pandemic that has proved to be full of surprises!

Thank you Dr. Driss Benattabou

Thank you Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak Choudhury for your comment. You make a good point by referring to the fact that the different parties involved in the educational process have "interest" in the resumption of normal teaching. However, it all depends on the health scene of each country.

Best regards!

Not far from Jordan, In Palestine the government decided to return to face-to-face education. However, it seems their plans will vanish soon with the current unprecedented surge in Covid19 cases.

Currently, in New Zealand, everything south of Auckland is Level three in a few minutes from this post while Auckland and everything north remains in full lockdown. Schooling right now is remaining 100% online until level 2 unless rules allow for some face-to-face in level 3.

Thank you dear Dr. Wisam Zaqoot for your comment.

Unexpected surges are, unfortunately, always possible but I, sincerely, hope things are going to go smooth in beloved Palestine.

Stay safe & healthy!

Thank you dear Dr. Benjamin Rastrick for your comment.

I guess that New Zealand could be cited as an example of the totally most unfortunate and unexpected surges of the Pandemic. I wish that things will be better soon so that face-to-face schooling would resume soon.

Stay safe and healthy!

Ahmed T. Hussein Thank you for the reply. We have focused on elimination and are taking no chances as we do not have a health infrastructure that can cope with large numbers. This is a result of successive governments under investing I think.

Teachers and parents have a fear of infection with Corona disease, but with taking precautionary measures, education can be organized during the school year

In the Philippines, the educational sector shares similar sentiments. However, the notion of returning to face to face classes appeal more to teachers and parents, while some who are afraid of the risk have grown comfortable with online arrangements and seeks to preserve the status quo. The undeniable effects (or lack thereof) of modular learning contributes to the division.

Parents and children are eager to be in a school for educational purposes following SOP .

A small beginning to new situation for off line learning is being seen as a battle against Corona.

Thank you Benjamin Rastrick for the added comment.

Best regards!

I fully understand the importance of face to face but unless vaccination is ramped up and schools can follow protocols.........a return would result in more lock downs. Agree with Kulwinder Singh Ellisiah Jocson Nima A. Hussein

We are to be very careful in new situation where lock down is to be the last resort. Rather enable all to be vaccinated and let children and adolescents have an opportunity to socialize for citizenship.School and society both have responded well to the challenge and we should welcome the opportunity to meet with any kind of crisis .

Thank you dear Dr. Nima A. Hussein for your comment. I agree that teachers and parents will always be worried about the possibility of viral infections because of the difficulty of securing the precautionary measurements by pupils and students alike.

Thank you dear Dr. Ellisiah Jocson for your valuable contribution. I sincerely wish that everything will go smooth in your country for safe face-to-face education.

Stay safe!

Thank you dear Dr. Kulwinder Singh for the valuable comments. I agree with you on stressing the importance of the social life opportunity, face-to-face teaching offers.

Thank you dear Dr. Adita Maharaj for your comment. You draw attention to an extremely important caution that all countries venturing for face-to-face education should remember. It is never an easy enterprise!

School kids have already resumed face to face classes already in Namibia but Universities continued online. Hopefully in Feb 2022 every thing will normal. All we shall prevail.

Parents feeling mixed emotions about sending their children back to the classroom https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.ctvnews.ca/local/vancouver-island/2021/9/4/1_5573463.html

The far higher virus load from the delta CoV-2 strain makes it far easier to become infected in just minutes of exposure to an infected individual. Masks and vaccines will both help. Masks act by reducing the virus load and exposure. Vaccines act by increasing the amount of virus exposure needed for infection. Masks are always available and should be used whenever possible. Masks protect the person and increase public health by protecting others.

The burdens from infection include both severe disease for some and unfortunately long-term effects that may impact as many as 50% based upon studies from Wuhan where the pandemic originated. Such long-term effects can be devastating to individuals and families causing a big burden on public heath going into the future. For students it may effect their learning for some extended time.

No one can predict the future. However, I would expect there to be a significant surge in COVID-19 infections starting two-three weeks after the schools open. This could cause a shutdown in a month unless masking, cleaning, hand washing, and distancing are used effectively and consistently in my opinion.

The ministry of education is more prepared now than last time because vaccination has been done and various protocols for control and spread of pandemic have been put in place.

I couldn't agree with you more dear Atif Elboshi . It is only a week since the resumption of face-to-face teaching here and the first week report is the infection of 15 teachers & 5 pupils. I sincerely hope that there won't be any reported in the coming weeks but the risk is still there especially that universities are to start on Oct. 10th.

Stay healthy & safe!

Thank you Dr. Haileleul Zeleke Woldemariam for your comment. I sincerely wish everything will go smoothly in Namibia by next February.

Wishing you safety & good health!

Thank you Dr. Chinaza Godswill Awuchi for your comment and the link.

I strongly agree with your opinion Dr. John Tainer . I, personally, feel that we should be extra cautious about too much optimism that opens all doors without preservations. I am much of your opinion that stronger emphasis should be laid on the importance of precautionary measure of masking and masking and masking which, most unfortunately, started to disappear among kids and adults after the easing of strict laws. I guess it is a global tendency now to pay less attention to the mask. This is evident in scenes of football matches and other social functions. I agree with you that this particular reckless tendency could lead to disasters.

Stay safe & best regards!

Thank you Dr. Kiprotich Kiptum for your comment. I, sincerely, wish that things will go as anticipated in your country.

Wishing you safety and good health.

Schools must remain open for sake of students’ well-being is the key message of the survey (August 2021) which the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb conducted among 27,000 students and 4,796 teachers in May and June to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 devastating earthquakes in Croatia.

The new school year 2021-22 begins on Monday (September 6, 2021) for almost 460,000 elementary and secondary school students across Croatia, including about 37,000 first graders, and all will have face-to-face classes.

In Malta it looks like we're going back to the same system as we ended the last scholastic year with: children in 'bubbles', wearing face-masks and maintaining specified distances between desks. There has been some relaxing of measures where it comes to educational outings, which are now being permitted, though still with distancing rules. Children from 12 onwards have been offered the vaccination and 90% of adults here are vaccinated, with old persons now getting their second administration.

Thank you Dr. Anton Vrdoljak for your contribution. I wish everything will go as planned in Croatia for the new academic year.

Stay healthy and safe!

Thank you Desiree Falzon for your contribution. The details of conditions in Malta seem to be almost identical to the situation here in Jordan. I sincerely wish that the new school year would go without hiccups.

Stay safe & healthy!

This term my country has returned to virtual school but the first two weeks are dedicated to assessing for 'loss of learning' in a bid to fill gaps.

Good posts Desiree Falzon Anton Vrdoljak Kiprotich Kiptum

Thank you Dr. Adita Maharaj for your comment. I wish everything will go as planned in your country for the new academic year.

Stay healthy and safe!

It is well accepted fact that literacy and numeracy skills can be learnt through performance on paper under guidance of the teacher in class room.

It is only after attaining these two skills one can proceed on learning of content in school subjects.--Sciences and Social Sciences.

Online mode of learning facilitats learning of content to an extent.but can't do away with regular class room teaching.

Let we remember learning in social context is only way of socializing of children.

Let us evolve those strategies where children interact face to face and are either providers or seekers of social support- essential to be a civil society member.

Thank you dear Dr. Kulwinder Singh for your comment.

I share the recommendations you make and the stress you put on the value of social interaction, face-to-face education can offer for younger generations. Our fear will always be there because no one can underestimate how the pandemic had been able, despite precautionary measures, to come up with surprises!

Stay healthy & safe!

Many people are trying to get children back in schools and I find that very upsetting. Sure we want things to go back to normal but these times are not normal.

The situation is almost similar in our country too... But unfortunately, in my opinion, we cannot predict what will happen. The virus may surprise us with new variants and they may spread faster than the previous ones, and they may be less affected by vaccines... So we hope that the situation will stabilize because we are already coming for generations suffering from poor education if the situation continues as it is... My sincere gratitude to all.

Thank you Chuck A Arize for your comment.

The debate is still carrying on till this moment of which of the two choices is wiser. Let us pray for safety for all people especially students and teachers throughout the world!

Thank you Manal Hadi Kanaan for your comment.

Despite the on-going return to conventional learning here, everyone is still holing their breath in anticipation for surprises. It is because, as you say, "we cannot predict what will happen".

Our sincere wishes that we would not witness similar setbacks as we did last year!

Some people want school to go back to normal and some want it to continue online, all for different reasons.

India is slowly recovering from the Covid crisis and coming back to normal. From November 1, my son started to go to school. He is quite happy to see his friends and teachers. All the kids are addicted to digital media during this crisis. As a parent, I am happy to see my kid going to school.