Schoolchildren need a hug and not a lecture! - EDITORIAL

The life of schoolchildren has once again become chaotic. Most Colombo schools have been closed till July 10 after the government announced several professions which went into an essential services list. 
The government makes announcements to face the fuel shortage, but little do they think of the impact such breaks have on kids and their education. 
This is the fourth break this year for students pursuing education, according to Save the Children foundation, an organization that works towards making the lives of challenged children better.  

Recently a picture of a schoolboy-in uniform- travelling on the outside of a bus went viral on social media. The manner in which he was commuting to school was alarming to say the least.  There was also a story where a boy, who had left home on an empty stomach, had been located somewhere which was not his destination and dropped home by a kindhearted ‘soul’ who owned a vehicle. We must show more love to our children these days; largely because they need a hug more than someone giving them a lecture on how to overcome a difficult time. 
We thought that the Covid pandemic was the last challenge that these schoolboys and girls had to face. But now this economic crisis is posing bigger challenges to boys and girls wearing the white uniform. Studying is taxing when a student puts in extra hours with his or her books at home. Several parents have gone onto comment on social media how hopeless they become when the hungry children open the fridge and look for a snack to boost their energy. Sadly ‘snacks’ have been done away with because of the sorry economic situation in the country. Very soon we’ll hear of stories where there is malnutrition in the country. 

"There are 4.2 million children pursuing an education in schools. They habour hopes of being academics, one day, at a preferred university. But these students are losing on valuable time because of these school closures"

There are 4.2 million children pursuing an education in schools. They habour hopes of being academics, one day, at a preferred university. But these students are losing on valuable time because of these school closures. Teachers have been told to continue with lessons using the online facility. We have already heard of the ups and downs of zoom technology because teachers don’t have absolute control over his or her charges because the session amounts to distant education. Students have the opportunity to scoot away from the zoom session and pretend to be in the class. 

The present trend doesn’t motivate the child to leave home and be more engaged with the real world. Apart from that the negative environment influences the child to find some excuse to remain at home when schools somehow manage to assemble some teachers to be on duty and dispense knowledge to children. 
Children are forced to think like adults far too early in their lives. The time they idle at home must be spent on reading up their text books. Parents should never instill the thought in their offspring to find employment too soon, because of hardships at home. Children must be reminded that they’ll never get the opportunity to be schoolchildren again if they miss it during a certain period of time. 

This is why the government must understand the importance of ensuring that there are enough CTB buses on the road on days when schools are operating. And these buses must give priority to schoolchildren an hour before schools commence and for the same during after the last bell at their academic institutes is rung. 
This government and even past regimes are guilty of not grooming their next leader. A country will have to endure a worst plight if children are not given the opportunity to complete their education at a time specified as ‘the time spent in school’.