Although there's not been any survey on the mental health crisis among children in the pandemic, from a report published in the journal New Scientist, we at least know that a stunning 115 million children in India are at risk of malnutrition, as the mid-day meal programme was disrupted by the pandemic.
And it's not just a concern about mid-day meal beneficiaries only. In these pandemic months, the general food insecurities that propped up in the marginalised communities have raised concerns of malnutrition amongst school-going children generally.
Given that students with poor or no access to internet or mobiles and laptops, or even enough personal space, might find the old fashioned in-person teaching methods useful, should India reopen schools?
As students of classes 9 -12 are set to re-join schools on a voluntary basis from 21 September, is it going to be a risky choice especially for malnourished children since the coronavirus infections are increasing? What work needs to be done before India re-opens schools for all? Tune in to The Big Story!
Also Listen to: Part 1: Should India Reopen Schools or Provide Equitable Education First?
References:
- Online Teaching Amid COVID-19 Brings Out Digital Divide in Society
- Over 80% Parents In 5 States Say Digital Schooling Failed During Lockdown: Study
Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guests:
Anjela Taneja, Campaign Lead Inequality Education and Health at Oxfam India
Ashok Rao the General Secretary of the Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute
Shahid Jameel, Virologist Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices