Schools reopen in Punjab, turnout high in rural areas
Students in many districts were excited as they returned to their schools after a long break
CHANDIGARH/BATHINDA/ JALANDHAR : Schools for all classes reopened in Punjab on Monday, with physical classes resuming after months for preprimary levels.
The attendance was reported more from rural areas while the turnout at many private schools was not that high.
The state government on Saturday allowed reopening of schools for all classes from August 2 as it further relaxed Covid restrictions due to dip in cases.
Earlier, schools had reopened for pre-primary levels and Classes 1 and 2 in February this year after a gap of nearly 10 months. Classes were suspended in March 2020 following Covid outbreak. Virtual classes will, however, continue for students who are unable to attend schools.
At many places, including Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Rupnagar, Mohali and Patiala, children looked in a festive mood as they returned to their schools after a long break. Some parents, however, expressed apprehensions on classes resuming in physical mode amid the pandemic.
In Patiala city, 50% attendance was reported in the schools while villages recorded a higher percentage.
In Rupnagar and some other districts, thin attendance was seen in primary classes, while in Ferozepur, both students and parents had mixed reactions on government’s decision to reopen schools for all classes.
Though most parents are still worried about Covid-19, they said they will monitor the progress of the reopening of schools for a week.
Some parents claimed that their wards were unable to learn well through online classes due to the internet connectivity issue. Many parents expressed apprehensions about a possible spike in Covid-19 cases.
Low turnout in Malwa
Most of the private schools in Bathinda and adjoining districts remained closed whereas government schools across the region saw thin turnout on Day 1. Bathinda district education officer (senior secondary) Mewa Singh said the attendance may increase in the coming week. “All arrangements are in place in accordance with the Covid-19 guidelines,” he said.
DEO (elementary) Shivpal Singh said since the state-level training programme to evaluate answer-sheets is underway till August 6, we expect more attendance from next week.
50% attendance in Doaba schools
Government schools witnessed over 50% attendance in three Doaba districts of Jalandhar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Kapurthala. SBS Nagar DEO (secondary) said the students were excited to attend classes in schools. “We are following Covid-19 protocols,” he said.
In Jalandhar, over 1 lakh students of higher classes attended the school whereas the turnout was around 70,000 in primary schools. In Kapurthala, education officials said the attendance would improve in the coming days.