Playschools appeal to SC for help over pandemic

The Indian Council for Early Childhood Educators and Institutions (ICECEI) of pre-primary, playschools and daycare centers has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking help after suffering huge losses in the past 16 months.

New Delhi: The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation has not only impacted people's health but also ravaged the livelihood of common people. As the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools, the ones who bore the brunt are also pre-primary and playschools.

Looking at the worsening situation, the Indian Council for Early Childhood Educators and Institutions (ICECEI) of pre-primary, playschools and daycare centers has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking help after suffering huge losses in the past 16 months.

ETV Bharat spoke to ICECEI President Yashpal Singh, the petitioner who elaborated about the current crisis the education sector is facing, especially the pre-schools.

Singh emphasized how on one side primary, secondary, and senior secondary schools are still charging monthly fees from the parents, in the name of online classes. While, on the other hand, millions of children between the ages of 1.5 to 4 years studying in different types of pre-primary or playschools spread across the country, are not able to conduct online classes, leading to the complete shutdown of the playschools and their income.

Children aged between 1.5 to 4 years are not comfortable studying online, which leads to a permanent closure of schools, and has put several lives in trouble. Thousands of people, especially 95 percent women are employed at schools. So when the government talks of women empowerment, they should also pay attention to this problem, Singh said.

Singh's petition in the Supreme Court said that the Reserve Bank of India issued financial assistance package (MSME framework 1.0 and 2.0) policy to small and medium enterprises which remained closed for only 6 to 7 months. On the same lines, these playschools should also be given an interest-free loan moratorium for at least 6 months or till the situation becomes normal on the loans taken from banks or other financial institutions.

When Yashpal, a resident of Narela, Delhi, started a campaign for struggling pre/playschools, more than 250 institutions from across the country joined him. Every day I get phone calls from people who were running schools, but after the COVID 19 induced lockdown across the country, people are looking for alternative ways to earn their living, Singh said.

He said that after the first wave of the COVID 19 pandemic was brought under control, there was some hope left for the people running these institutions, but within a few months, the second wave hit. As we hear the scientists and experts are talking about the third wave of the pandemic, where the children will be affected, in such a situation, we don't see any hope of restoration of normalcy and re-opening of pre/playschools in the near future. Now only the Supreme Court and the government can give some relief to them.