• Swati Ghate, Bakul Jayant Parekh, Rajeev Kumar Thapar, P R Nadkarni, Santanu Sen, Utkarsh Bansal, Chhaya Harnarain Sambhariya, Swati Popat, Piyali Bhattacharya, Sushma Kirtani, Yashwant Kanetkar, Swati Popat Vats, S S Kamath, Manu Raj, G V Basavaraja, and Piyush Gupta.
• Babylon's Newton Child Development and Support Centre, Jaipur, India.
• Indian Pediatr. 2020 Dec 15; 57 (12): 1153-1165.

JustificationWith the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant school closure, children all over the country are undergoing a lot of educational, psychosocial, and physical problems. There is an urgent and deep felt need to offer scientific and concrete guidance for these concerns and support children in their educational development during these testing times.ObjectiveTo review the guidelines and recommendations given by various international agencies and formulate guidelines in the Indian context on (a) how and when to reopen the schools; (b) ways and means of remote learning; and (c) to identify the contents of curriculum that need restructuring in context of the current situation.ProcessIndian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) formed a task force of pediatricians, educationists and technological experts who connected through various video and social platforms. They gathered and exchanged information and thoughts. The writing committee drafted the guidelines and got approval of all the members of the task force.RecommendationsSchools can be reopened only when the local epidemiological parameters are favorable, the administration is equipped with adequate infrastructure and health care facilities, and the stakeholders (teachers, students, parents, and support staff) are prepared for the new normal. In the meanwhile, remote learning (media-based and /or otherwise) should reach to the last student to maintain uninterrupted education. The curriculum needs to be revised, with focus on revision and core contents. Informal learning of psychosocial empowerment and daily living skills should be encouraged rather than stressful formal learning.

21 keywords...

hide…