Caged and Safe?

Amma, everything is open. Then why is my school closed?

Today is exactly 9 months since A went to school. I still remember. It was a Monday. A was dressed in his white t-shirt and red shorts and had just finished eating his breakfast when I received the email which said that for the safety of the children, the school will be closed on account of a virus called ‘coronavirus’. That day, when I told A that he didn’t have school, I didn’t know that it was the beginning of the 9months (and possible 15 months in total) that A will not attend a regular school. That day, I didn’t realise that it would be the year when my child would look out of the window or balcony and ask, Amma can I go out, and the only answer I would give would be a No, there is a virus. And after few months, he would even stop asking me.

Talking with a few friends from different countries I realised that the virus is in its second and third wave there as well but there is a small difference. The schools are open.

How are the schools open when you still have so many cases every single day? I ask out of curiosity, interest and a little bit of jealousy.

Well, ONLY the schools are open.

What do you mean?

Well, exactly what I said. ONLY the schools are open. Restaurants and places of gatherings, weddings, funerals – nothing is allowed. We can have only three people in our homes as visitors. And we socially distance ourselves. This way, our kids can go to school, engage with their friends. It’s more important for them.

When the lockdown was lifted, even in phases, the first thing which opened, in my memory was liquor shops, then came other shops and restaurants, restrictions on number of people attending a marriage or a funeral was gradually lifted, people started going to work in batches and public transportation was also opened. But what remained and still remains closed is schools and colleges. For A, I have been informed that this entire academic year will be online.

Yes, online. Making a five year old sit in front of a computer, or iPad for one hour and expecting him/her to learn ‘holistically’ during this pandemic without any respect, understanding or even consideration. The syllabus remains unchanged, the fee remains unchanged and he would be measured on a yardstick like every year when he goes to Grade 1 next year.

Will I send my child to school if they reopen tomorrow? Absolutely not because everything else is open. The only difference I see, when I do step outside, is everyone doing everything the exact same way with a mask on their face (if I am lucky, cause usually, the mask is on the chin). Everything seems normal for everyone else except for these little ones who haven’t seen their friends and played in parks! These little ones who will spend an year mainly indoors attached to iPads and other technologies because parents have to work from home to keep their jobs. These little ones who should be out playing in mud, getting dirty but instead are getting bored with parents who are finding it hard to engage them all the time.

Yes, it’s a pandemic.

Yes, it’s unforeseen.

But it’s also true that governments and other responsible authorities have clearly shown what is their priority. Opening schools first will not be profitable. Profits are made elsewhere and that is their priority. Keeping children at home is termed as safer. Yes, it is because everyone is outside and everything else is open.

While I try finding ways to avoid more wedding invitations, and offend more people by asking them to wash their hands before they engage with A, I hope you find more ways to engage your little one.

I hope you find the strength to play hide and seek one more time inside your house. I hope you smile again when you see paint all over his/her hands and clothes. I hope you enjoy that book one more time while you read at bed time. And I hope that you enjoy and cherish those little arms engulfing you one more time into 30th hug of the day. Cause what this pandemic did teach me, at least, is that these little human beings adapt to any situation, even a pandemic, if we just hold their hands through it and if we keep reminding them (and ourselves) that they might feel caged, but it’s the only way to keep them safe.