Delighted to be back: Tamil Nadu students
Narayanan Veerasimhan, a 16-year-old Class XI student of SRM Nightingale Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai’s Mambalam area, cannot conceal his happiness. After being stuck at home for months and struggling with online classes, he’s overjoyed to be back in school, “with friends and learning in a classroom atmosphere, which is irreplaceable,” he says.
After opening briefly for Classes 9 to 12, schools in Tamil Nadu had shut again on March 22, and students were back to online classes. Veerasimhan would like to forget that period now.
On Wednesday, when schools re-opened for Classes 9 to 12 in states like Delhi, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Ladakh, the smiles of the students hidden by their masks were evident in their twinkling eyes.
“Students desperately wanted to be out of home. We are seeing an attendance of around 63 per cent,” says T Amalraj, principal of SRM School, adding, “They are allowed only with a consent letter from their parents.” The school has a nurse on standby and is also arranging counselling sessions for students who might need them.
At the school gates, the students first had to get their temperature checked before being ushered into the premises. Careful not to compromise on social distancing standards, schools are allowing only 20 students in a classroom at a time. Many have also set alternate dates for Classes 9-10 and 11-12.
Chettinad Vidyashram, one of the city’s largest schools near Rajah Annamalaipuram, is sticking with a hybrid model, providing both online and offline classes. When Business Standard met her, principal Amudha Lakshmi S was stationed at the gate to welcome each student after thermal scanning. “We conducted a Google survey before starting classes and gave the option of online and offline modes. While 55 per cent of the students opted for the online model, the rest chose to come to school,” she says, adding, “We have requested parents to drop the kids since we don’t want them to risk using public transport until they get vaccinated.” The school has appointed two nurses and two doctors for emergencies.