Moving to the New Normal or Inviting a Disastrous Scenario?

As the government lifted up the 120 days long lockdown since midnight, it has also instructed the schools, colleges and universities to resume. While there is no doubt that education sector has been adversely affected in both ways- financially and academically, we also can't deny that now is not the time. While the public schools have already asked the parents to get their child enrolled, what about the students of the government school. Are we not discriminating the students? While the students of the private students will now be studying in the classes, the government schools that have been used as the quarantine homes are no safe either. People have been constantly travelling in and out and now as the foreign returns can directly go home without having to move to the government's quarantine- oh sorry, the government has advised them to directly go home and quarant themselves at home and only then get the PCR test done within a week, itself explains how wise of a decision it is. With all these, the examinations that have been postponed will now finally happen, but how safe is it? Are the schools and the colleges going to take the responsibility of the well being of a child? Is it that necessary to have exams in the traditional manner? Is it safe for the children to go to school? Well, as vulnerable as the children are, it is practically not possible to maintain social distancing in the schools and colleges because the seats are fixed, so how are they going to practice social distancing is beyond my head. Or maybe practice the odd-even rule? As the colleges these days have resumed the online classes, Tribhuvan University has huge grant received for the same. Many colleges and universities are autonomous or have very few affiliations to the colleges, is it necessary for them to take physical examination just because of the tradition? This is high time we take a leap and change this stereotypical examinations and teaching-learning systems. The same teachers who prepares questions, evaluates them and publish the result is fair , but the same teachers sending assignments, evaluating them and publishing the results don't sound fair? With the huge flood and landslides that has already taken away homes from many, that have destructed the highways, how are the people going to come to town so soon? We cannot deny that these people who've lost their homes will again be shifted to the nearby schools and colleges for shelter. We cannot deny that we don't have enough relief materials for them and neither do we have proper health care facilities. So, is it really that late already? Well, we posting such long status about it on social media isn't going to change how things will be. We all know that the lockdown has been lifted, not because the #COVID19 situation is under control but other things are getting difficult to handle. As we are finally being exposed to the "New Normal", things aren't going to be new neither as normal as before. Let's not forget how the second wave has proven to be more dangerous across the world. However, let's play our part. Let's keep ourselves safe, sanitize ourselves and embrace the decisions that have been imposed.

-Pragya Gyawali