Back to school: Students in Mumbai are struggling to cope with real classrooms

Students at Dnyaneshwar Vidyalaya in Wadala on October 4. File pic

The pandemic seems to have changed the way learning happens for children, as almost a month after schools resuming in-person classes, a new problem has come to the fore. Psychologists and psychiatrists from across the city are witnessing a rise in the number of children suffering from attention deficiency and problems related to focusing in class. Some of the health experts revealed that many kids were facing writing problems as well, and were struggling to finish notes in class.

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Avinash De Sousa, president of Bombay Psychiatric Society (BPS), said, "Children are facing issues coping with in-person schooling. Earlier they used to sit in the comfort of their homes, but now they have to sit on benches and remain focused throughout." He said that Std IX and X students were coming to them with distractibility issues. "In online classes, they had the freedom of switching off the cameras whenever they wanted to. Adapting to the chalk-and-blackboard system has become an issue. Some parents told me that their wards are not able to finish notes in class. Their writing has got affected and in November they will have physical exams," added Dr De Sousa. Speaking about similar issues, Alisha Lalljee, special educator, counsellor and psychotherapist, said that most of the children were showing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder signs. "Many thought they would not have to return to school as there were fears of an impending third wave. Some of them are facing serious writing issues and not performing that well," she said.

Schoolchildren inside a bus in early 2020. File pic

Offline classes are yet to resume for Std I-IV in rural areas and Std I-VII in urban areas of the state. Dr De Sousa said that graded opening of offline schooling for the other classes could be a solution to the problems.

Dr Harish Shetty, senior psychiatrist, Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, said that since in-person classes resumed after a gap of almost 18 months, children were facing issues related to attention and focus. He added that the schools and teachers should be gentle and sensitive while handling the students. "Teachers have to keep a close watch on attendance and absenteeism and find out whether it is a physical, psychological or financial problem," he added.