Parents May Have To Arrange For Own Transport As Schools Reopen

Many May Prefer Keeping Kids Home As Schools Say Can’t Provide Facility

- Shradha.Chettri @timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Even as the announcement that schools and colleges would reopen from November 1 enthused parents and students alike, the institutions themselves have begun preparations for the resumption of academics. There’s work to be done on timetables and seating to ensure Covid norms are met. But among all these, and to the parents’ chagrin, most schools have decided they cannot provide school transport for the time being. With hybrid lessons — online and in-person attendance — still an option, the transport bugbear could mean parents will prefer keeping their children at home.

Suruchi Gandhi, principal, Bal Bharti School, Dwarka, said, “Funds to run our buses and transport service are in deficit. It is economically unviable to provide school transport because just 10 to 12 students can board one bus under Covid protocols. Also, we feel attendance will be thin and wonder whether sending out our buses makes sense.”

At Abu Public School, principal Jyoti Arora too said that transport facilities couldn’t be so suddenly restored. Tagore International School in Vasant Vihar will be among the institutions that will not have their buses ferrying the returning students.