No Instant Solution On Whether To Reopen Schools Amid Covid: Amartya Sen

Amartya Sen said that children are suffering a lot as schools are closed but also concerns over their health cannot be ignored if campuses reopen.

There is no instant answer to the debate over the opening of school campuses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said. Speaking in an online discussion organised by Pratichi on Sunday, Mr Sen said that children are suffering a lot as schools are closed but also concerns over their health cannot be ignored if campuses reopen. "In America, there is an ongoing debate between two groups on the same issue. In India, there are different opinions. But, what may be applicable in the east of Birbhum may not work in the west of Bankura. There cannot be a readymade reply, an instant reply at hand, the situation is not so," Mr Sen said. On the evaluation model in the present scenario, the economist said acquiring and sharing knowledge is more important.