After a month-long of lockdown, schools in Samdrup Jongkhar town finally resumed today. Since the beginning of last month, all schools were closed after a person tested positive for COVID-19 from the community on May 3.
More than 220 students and teachers of the three schools in the town were tested on the RT-PCR as schools began to re-open cautiously in the district. All of them tested negative. Likewise, all students and teachers were made to follow all COVID-19 protocols at all times.
During a month-long lockdown, students were taught lessons online. But speaking to the students, they said they prefer normal classes over online lessons.
“When it comes to contact teaching we usually do a lot of group works and we share a lot of ideas, it enhances our social skills. It also makes us sleep early and wake up early as we have to go to school on time and submit assignments on time. Likewise, we are also able to complete our syllabus and ask doubts,” said Yeshi Wangchuk, a student of Samdrup Jongkhar MSS.
“Online teaching was not proving as effective as contact teaching, during contact teaching we can easily go to teachers and ask our doubts and get clarified. But in online classes, sometimes with bad weather, there is network errors, some students are saying they are facing data problem and many of my friends are saying online teaching is not effective and understandable. Of course, teachers are trying their best and we as students also try our best but I still prefer contact teaching,” added Sonam Yangchen, another student.
The Thromde Education Officer said, for now, online education is only the option during the outbreak of the virus in the community and lockdown. However, the Thromde Education Officer added they are planning for schools to operate in self-containment mode for classes IX and X in a worst-case scenario.
For now, except for entertainment centers, all types of businesses are allowed to open with strict health protocols. However, all types of games and sports activities have been restricted for a time being.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
