The lawn, plants, buds and flowers in our garden testify to the low temperature at night. It is. short lived brilliant light at dawn. In no time after the sun rise, the dew drops fade away.
The difference between the day and night is startling. The day is hot and humid and the night is cold and chilly.
A family whom I listened to today, shared the strikingly different behaviour of their daughter on days she has on line classes and the week ends. She is adorable on week ends, but too difficult to cope with her irritable behaviour. During this on line conversation, she overheard what her mother was telling me. She retorted, 'Are children supposed to be sitting before computer for six hours a day. It is now six months since I played throw ball, badminton or basket ball or went to the school library' ! I was both moved and disturbed by what I heard from this 13 years old girl child.
I have raised this issue of silent suffering of children: fear of contracting COVID 19 and denial of what makes childhood at school How terrible that the academic exercise alone is provided for them. I remember sharing my concerns with five schools about creating an opportunity for small groups of children to visit the school. But there have been constraints. I cannot think of any such instance of children having been denied from being at school in the last fifty years.
I wonder whether authorities and teachers would consider that children have suffered and they agonise over it!
There is a startling difference between school based learning and home based learning. Even home schooled children would have several social occasions normally. Let me plead for children- they are deprived and disadvantaged by a rigid approach to keep them away from school!
To be at school is their right! A home is not a substitute for collective learning at school !
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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