How Does the Omicron Variant Impact the Education Infrastructure?

Yet again, Covid-19 comes back with a new variant, Omicron, and this time might be one of the dangerous variants too. As the world has just started to move on, Covid-19’s new variant Omicron has instilled fear in people once again. Cases have risen at a great pace in some parts of the country. Hence, states have started reconsidering the reopening of schools and colleges offline. The Omicron variant greatly influences the education sector, and before things go out of hand, the government will have to take certain precautions to save the nation.

Omicron cases started in India when two men were tested positive for the virus on 2 December in Karnataka. In less than a week, the cases have come to 23 in four states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Rajasthan. The constant rise in cases is worrisome and might lead to the third wave as well.

Concerns of the Education Infrastructure

Government should prioritise the health of the people first. As of now, keeping a note of testing, case numbers, and tracing the affected people should be a secondary concern for them. When the first two Omicron cases were found in Karnataka, the government imposed some restrictions delaying the functions and gatherings in schools and universities for two months. Later, with the rising number of cases, new restrictions were announced as well. The Karnataka government has strictly announced that the children of only vaccinated parents are allowed to attend offline classes.

The distress doesn’t end with imposing restrictions anymore, and the main concern is whether the schools should be shut down once again or not? Kids have not been vaccinated yet, and with the rise of cases, how long is it safe to keep the offline classes going on? These are some important and necessary questions that have come to everyone’s mind regarding the present scenario. Now, if the schools are closed, then the education sector is back to square one. Also, the government has to not only think about the economy of the country but also about the education sector.

Precautions Against the Omicron Variant

Before a year, online classes were a great concern, but now everybody is habituated to it. Plus, there is not much difference between online and offline classes if we consider the situation of the students. So, the government should contemplate turning offline classes into online classes for the safety of the students. The admissions process for the new academic session has begun, and the schools have made it an online process. Parents are least interested in sending their children back to school. They expect the government to take precautions regarding the school and the children. The discussion involving the effect of the Omicron variant on education infrastructure will continue until it eradicates or the government finds an alternate solution to the problem. Parents are advised to take care of their children and follow proper Covid-19 guidelines.