48% parents unwilling to send children to schools till they receive COVID-19 vaccine: Survey

"Forty-eight per cent of the surveyed parents said they are not willing to send their children to schools till they are vaccinated," the survey said.

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New Delhi: Amid debate on reopening schools in view of declining COVID-19 cases, a survey conducted by an online platform, Local Circles has found out that around 48 per cent parents are not willing to send their wards to schools till they get coronavirus vaccination.

As per PTI report, the survey included over 32,000 parents across 361 districts in the country.  Around 47 per cent of the respondents of the survey were from tier 1 districts, 27 per cent from tier 2 and 26 per cent respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

The survey discovered that more than 30 per cent parents are willing to send their children to schools providing that coronavirus cases in their districts come down to zero.

"Vaccinating children in the coming months is going to be key if children are to go to schools for physical classes. Forty-eight per cent of the surveyed parents said they are not willing to send their children to schools till they are vaccinated. At least 21 per cent of parents said whenever the schools reopen, they are ready to send their wards there," the news agency quoted the survey as saying. 

On Tuesday (July 27), Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had told BJP MPs that COVID-19 vaccination for children was likely to commence soon. 

States including Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh have already reopened schools or plan on resuming physical classes soon. While West Bengal has decided not to open schools anytime soon. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Wednesday said it will consult teachers and parents of students before reopening schools in the national capital since the COVID-19 situation is under control now.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Parents and teachers want schools to reopen but are fearful. We want to ask parents, students and teachers whether we can reopen the schools and how can it be done. In the neighbouring states, schools have reopened."

(With agency inputs)