lockdown preschool and us
India is under lockdown since March 2020 under strict government rules. All the schools and preschools are closed until further notice.

India is under lockdown since March 2020 following strict government rules. All the schools and preschools are closed until further notice. Even after two months, there is no certainty when the schools will be functional again.

With the aforementioned uncertainty, the worst affected are those preschools which are being run by small independent owners for kids aged less than 6 years.

The Financial Crisis being faced by preschools

The sector has shallow financial bandwidth and negligible backing. This makes survival pretty hard. Most of the preschools and daycare are being driven by independent Woman Entrepreneurs and it’s hard for them to survive without several months of business.

Preschools during covid 19

Summer camps and daycare are the two main sources of income for preschools. There have been no new admissions in these sections since March, whereas some parents haven’t even paid the last academic year pending fees.

Adopting the change

Keeping the situation and safety in mind, many schools have started online classes, some have notified that school will remain closed for the academic year. Almost all the preschools are not following a similar pattern and adopted online classes.

School owners find that parents are not willing to send their kids to the schools fearing the spread of infection because young children are more vulnerable to COVID19. Some parents are in support of online classes, others are not because they think online classes are ineffective.

The loose-loose situation

On one hand, the preschool facilities have shown zero revenue. They now have no cash left to pay the rent and salaries to employees and supporting staff as well. On the other, parents living in nuclear families finding hard to manage the work and kids together.

Empty Preschools during covid 19

Arpita and Harsh, both are working couples said, that I have a 2.5-year old son, and we were dependent on daycares but since lockdown, every day has become a new challenge, it’s difficult to concentrate, attend calls, and join meetings over the phone when the child is around.

Shweta and Kushagra, another working parent said, no doubt the current situation is difficult for all of us but shutting down makes sense as kids may carry infections and spread it to their peers. Schools would follow the hygiene rules, sanitizing the toys, disinfecting the areas, doing regular health checkups but the activities while maintaining safe distance are what we’re more concerned about. 

Preschools have no option left but to sell out

According to the sources, owners are in a surge to sell their preschools. They have received 200+ inquiries from Bangalore city itself, 600+ across India, and expecting a significant increase in numbers in the upcoming time.

An owner of a preschool said, “We have to shut down our daycare centers as per the government rules but some parents requested us to stay open because they are working and nobody else to watch over their kids.” 

Plausible Solution

The problem is big, but we have to find a solution. Here, are a few pointers which might help us to deal with the current situation,

  • All private organizations should give some relaxation in working hours, especially for working mothers. 
  • Owners of preschool can look for merging their branches. This will cut down operational costs. 
  • Parents should support the school’s online class initiatives, for smooth learning. At least for this academic year. 
  • All the schools should provide enough support to the educational staff for setting up an online class system within the comfort of their home.
  • Schools should be available for any technical support needed by the parents or educational staff during the sessions.
  • Design interactive sessions for younger kids who have opted for summer camps and other activities. Actively engaging the kids is the key.
Engaging kids in online classes during covid 19
  • Launch new courses that can be done digitally with the help of existing staff. Upskill them accordingly.
  • Plan and reorganize the daycare, especially on the request of working parents with the minimum number of kids in one batch, utilizing the complete space, avoid overcrowding, so that social distancing can be well taken care of. 
  • Daycares can operate for 3-5 days a week with a separate group of kids on 2 or 3 days a week plan, etc.
  • Operate with minimal staff, follow the complete guidelines of sterilization, disinfection proposed by the Government and Health Departments. 

Conclusion

The pandemic has affected many small scale business houses majorly run by the middle-class. No doubt, it will have a long term impact on our lives. No one knows when life will be back to normal days. Only god knows what other challenges are waiting for use next year.

Above all, the one who deserves a loud applaud is the little one’s – kids in the family. They have been great supporters and acted stronger than us in these unprecedented circumstances. The problems are countless, the positive decision is to go along and adopt the new change. 

kids during covid 19 lockdown