N.U.A. RAZZAK UDAYAR
JEDDAH: Undoubtedly, children and youngsters are the backbone of a nation. The abrupt advent of the COVID-19 has forced the schools and educational institutions and universities across the globe to be closed over two and half months letting the youngsters to be trapped at home.
Obviously, this long shutdown of schools, universities and other centres of learning due to this perilous pandemic has adversely affected the studies of millions of students and undergraduates all over the world.
The Educational Authorities of most of the countries have devised plans to offset the loss by implementing the provision of distance education via several methods using the modern technology. Many developed countries and even developing countries have succeeded in their efforts to keep students engaged in learning through several social platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom etc.
The Sri Lankan Government has done its best to provide the distance learning to the learners particularly the undergraduates during this long period of lockdown. Over 97 percent of undergraduates actively attend the online sessions and continue their studies effectively.
Besides this, many schools, private institutions and most of the international schools conduct their online sessions to let their respective students continue their studies. Since Sri Lanka hasn’t got the full capacity to cover all the schools overnight under this scheme, it is the bounden duty of the parents, guardians, teachers and other stakeholders of the education to ensure that the children and youngsters of this nation maintain a meaningful productive routine as the lockdown period keeps on extended as the health is given number one priority to ensure schools won’t be a place of danger. Therefore, parents should give their fullest cooperation not only to eliminate this deadly infection but also to see that their children get effectively engaged in studies as they are confined to their homes.
Seriousness of the Pandemic
First and foremost, parents should understand the seriousness of this pandemic that can easily take away the precious lives of anyone who fails to adhere to the health guidelines. Social distancing cannot be taken for granted as the corona can easily pass from one person to another in no time. Hence all our kids, children and youngsters should be carefully looked after as they can easily be exposed to danger in terms health. They cannot be allowed to freely move even in the premises or gardens where they may have chance to meet children and others who live in their respective localities. Do, remember schools are not closed thoughtlessly. There was a grave situation to shut down.
Parental Duty
Apparently, this long lockdown period is found to be boring, irritating, troublesome and even ruthless for many families as the parents are given a 24 hour duty to look after their near ones and dear ones who were nearly two and half months ago away from home for nearly 8 hours or so as their second homes schools took care of them taking the portion of the burden of them. Now, the parents have been entrusted to keep an eye on, to be precise both eyes on them to save them from the invisible enemy, the tiny but powerful COVID-19.
It is true, under lockdown that there are a lot of demerits due to this contagious virus. Our children cannot do their regular activities such as going to school, attending the religious sessions, playing outdoor games, attending tuitions, visiting kith and kin and so on. But there is no choice as we cannot compromise with our life. ‘What cannot be cured must be endured.’ So, it is high time we looked at new ways and means to lead the life while letting children to get engaged in virtual learning, religious observances, relaxations and other activities such as sharing the chores and having chats with the family members.
Paradoxically, lockdown period is a blessing in disguise for many families as they can effectively implement a 24-hour timetable with a well chalked out plan. Therefore, this is the right time to face the reality courageously and make a plan for our children to spend the time effectively and usefully. The school has got a timetable that makes sure that every Tom, Dick and Harry is well looked after educationally to achieve knowledge, skills and training gradually and steadily. Similarly, a running timetable at home covering all the 24 hours can be made by parents and guardians to look after the kids in terms of education, health, religion, sports etc. during this lockdown
Twenty- Four Hour Timetable
This timetable can mainly have six major areas such as education or learning, having meals, sleep, relaxation, religious observances, and chores. First and foremost, this timetable should devote 8 hours for a sound sleep for our children. Denial of a proper sleep could be a recipe for disaster for anyone, no need mention the children who are the invaluable asset of a nation. Unfortunately, nowadays many a child goes to bed after 11:00 p.m. or so as the rest of the members of the family including the parents go to bed after midnight.
William Shakespeare has rightly reminded, sleep as the chief nourisher in life’s feast. We all are aware students who burn their midnight oil fall sick and cannot properly concentrate on their studies. Many, drop out of schools and become juvenile delinquents. ‘Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.’ Therefore, it is the prime duty of the parents to plan the timetable where the slot for the sleep should star early in the night. Children can safely be sent to bed by nine or nine thirty so that they will actively wake up in the next morning to start their noble task of learning. As the one third of the whole day is kept aside for a sound sleep, there are 16 hours that should be well divided for other five tasks. Essentially, education should get a maximum time from the timetable. It is ideal to allocate 10 hours for learning per day. There can be three slots per day that will cover the area of learning. A duration of five hours from dawn to midday and two hours in the evening and a slot of three hours in the night can help all students diligently get engaged in various activities such as reading the text books, attending virtual classes revising the notes, memorizing the important lessons, working out assignments, having discussions with siblings or parents about the difficult lessons and doubts that crop up while learning. A break of 10 minutes or so for every hour can help the children and other learners to have a rest and relief as learning at a stretch can make one easily get bored and frustrated.
Relaxation
‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy and of course Jill a dull girl as well.’ Therefore, the timetable should have sufficient time for relaxation for the youngsters. It can have a slot of two and half hours. Firstly, a one-and half hour period should be included in the timetable for a nap or siesta immediately after the lunch. This rest will give much energy to start their second session of learning that come under the period of evening. Besides this, ideally the remaining one hour can be set aside for relaxation of other activities. They can ideally be allowed to play indoor games such as carrom, chess, Draughts, computer games, mobile phone games, watching cartoons and so on. It is the duty of the parents to decide the activity/activities that are suitable for their youngsters. It is better to add variety so that the children get inspired and motivated to do new activities or see new things.
Time for Meals
Another important area that needs to be looked at is the consumption of food of the children. There are three regular meals breakfast, lunch and dinner that give them energy to lead their life actively. A duration of one and half hour can let them peacefully take their food. This is the time for them to fall into useful conversations with the parents, siblings, and other members of the family. A large number of children did not have the opportunity to take their meals with parents, particularly with their fathers as they were out to keep the home fires burning before the enforcement of the lockdown. Now the rare opportunity has come to sit with them and have the food together. No parent can let this chance slip away from them.
Chores
The time can ideally have a slot of one hour for chores. Our children are trapped at home! It does not mean they should idle away the precious time by continuously using the mobile phone or watching cartoon after cartoon or sleeping for hours and hours as though they are under hibernation. It is time for them to learn the chores that are mainly executed by our mothers or female members of the society. Both boys and girls should be given a training in cooking, cutting vegetables, scraping coconuts, washing the clothes, pressing them, making the beds, sweeping the house, arranging the cupboards, washing the car and even whitewashing the house. First, they can carefully observe the parents or older members who are in action and then they can help or directly do such tasks under the watchful eyes of their parents. When these activities regularly occur lockdown won’t be a torture but a time of pleasantness.
Religious Observances
Sri Lanka is a country where all the four major religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are piously followed by the devotees. Hence, the timetable cannot miss a slot for religion. A period of one hour can be given for religious observances so that all the children and other learners become good natured and religious to become the useful citizens of this nation. This one hour can be divided into different parts and be used at different times of the day. For instance, a duration of 10 or 15 minutes early in the morning can be used for worshipping, prayers, meditation, and the like. Parents have the flexibility to make the twenty- four- hour timetable highly effective for their own environment or situation.
Finally, it is crystal clear that the enforcement of lockdown is inevitable. We clearly don’t know when it will end though a completion of a period of fortnight or so can invite the students to get ready to wear the uniform to see their second home that is sadly abandoned due to the unseen enemy the COVID-19.Defenitely, a 24 hour running time table will keep the kids actively engaged in learning and other useful activities while chasing away the boredom, depression, isolation, melancholy, stress and other unwanted negative feelings.
