New Delhi: As schools reopen across the country, parents are concerned about poor ventilation, indoor eating and social distancing norms, a new survey has found.
According to the survey conducted by community platform LocalCircles, around 36 per cent of parents who have children attending school said classes do not have good air ventilation.
Forty-one per cent of them have children who have their lunch indoors, which, the survey noted, puts them at a higher risk of getting infected with Covid-19.
The survey released Tuesday also found that 84 per cent of parents say mask compliance is good but only 70 per cent approve of social distancing and hygiene compliance.
The survey received 38,000 responses from parents residing in 388 districts. Sixty-five per cent of the participants were men while 35 per cent were women. Forty-eight per cent of respondents were from tier 1 districts, 29 per cent from tier 2, and 23 per cent respondents were from tier 3, 4, and rural districts.
84% of parents say mask compliance effective in schools
On being asked what parameters the schools are complying effectively, four per cent said “(1) masking”, two per cent said “(2) social distancing, and four per cent said, “(3) hygiene & sanitation”.
According to the survey, 14 per cent said the school is complying with option 1 & 2, two per cent said schools are complying with option 2 & 3, 14 per cent said option 1 & 3, while 52 per cent said all three options. Four per cent of parents said “none of the areas”, and four per cent did not have an opinion.
The survey further noted that on an aggregate basis, 84 per cent of parents whose children are now going to school said mask compliance is effective, while 70 per cent feel social distancing, hygiene and sanitation compliance is effective.
Eighty-four per cent of parents said “masking” is effectively followed in schools their children go to, while 72 per cent said “hygiene & sanitation”, and another 70 per said said “social distancing”. Fifty-two per cent of parents said compliance on all the three fronts is working effectively.
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Only 6% of children are eating lunch/snacks outdoors
On children eating lunch in school premises, 41 per cent of parents said there is “no snack or lunch” time since the classes are held for a short duration, while 41 per cent said their “children are eating snack or lunch in class”. Six per cent said “children are eating outdoors” and 12 per cent of parents couldn’t say.
On the question of school assemblies, 32 per cent of parents said schools are holding “assemblies outdoors with masks and social distancing”, five per cent said “assemblies are taking place indoors with mask and social distancing, and 14 per cent said it’s taking place at a reduced frequency with masking and social distancing.
According to the survey, 36 per cent of parents said “assemblies are not being conducted at all”, while 13 per cent couldn’t say. On an aggregate basis, 51 per cent of parents said assemblies are being conducted in their child’s school, while 19 per cent said they are being held indoors.
Air ventilation
On being asked about the state of air ventilation in their child’s classroom, 40 per cent of the respondents said: “classes have windows with access to outside air and they are keeping them open when children are in class”, three per cent said, “classes have air purifiers and they keep them on when children are in class”, and nine per cent said both the above options are available.
Twelve per cent of parents said “classes have windows with access to outside air but they keep them closed”, while 24 per cent said “classes do not have windows with access to outside air nor do they have air purifiers in classes”.
The survey concluded that on an aggregate basis 36 per cent of parents who have children going to school said classes do not have good air ventilation, suggesting that schools may also consider having all or at least some classes outdoors and to ensure all doors and windows are open to allow ventilation in classes.
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