Third wave or Fourth Wave, schools must reopen for preschoolers
“Mama, when will I go to school with my new tiffin box?” A four-year-old Munnu has been asking this question ever since his nursery was shut following a nationwide shutdown declared on March 23, 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreak. His banker mother had promised to buy a new lunch box when the school re-opens. Munnu is one among thousands of preschool-goers who were confined to their homes ever since the pandemic hit the world. The student community are now back to their schools and colleges now. However, there is not a word on tiny-tots. They have never won the attention of policymakers. Teachers analyse the situation Aswathi Das Jayakumari, who has vast experience in Early Childhood Care and Education, said,. “Early childhood education is so crucial in child development as 90 percent of brain development happens before the age of 5 years.” Aswathi, who has over 10 years of international experience, cited renowned scientist Albert Einstein, who said ‘Play is the highest form of resear...