Life back in schools as classes 6 to 8 reopen
Barring a few missionary/convent schools, majority of pvt schools resumed physical classes from Wednesday
Lucknow The schools across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday came back to life with the reopening of Classes 6 to 8, after closure of over 11 months because of lockdown and Covid-19 protocols. The attendance, however, remained very thin in most of the schools, not exceeding beyond 25%. The classes of 9 to 12 resumed in October itself. The students missed fun part of being in school because of COVID-19 protocols put in place.
LUCKNOW: Schools across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday came back to life with the reopening of Classes 6 to 8, after closure of over 11 months because of lockdown and Covid-19 protocols.
The attendance, however, remained very thin in most of the schools, not exceeding beyond 25%.
The classes of 9 to 12 resumed in October itself. The students missed fun part of being in school because of COVID-19 protocols put in place. It was a new experience for students to wear mask and carry hand sanitizer.
They all missed the joy of hugging each other and had to maintain a good distance which they never experienced in the past. Teachers counselled students that this difficult time will soon go away. La Martiniere College decided to call students with odd and even roll numbers on alternate days. Of the total 506 students with odd roll numbers, only 68 students of class 6 to 8 came on day one.
Principal Carlyle McFarland said, “It will take time for parents’ confidence to increase. Tomorrow we have called students with even roll numbers.”
He said, “The online/distance education model currently in practice shall continue alongside optional physical lessons. Boarding facilities shall not be offered to pupils till the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for resident scholars are issued by the government. The online/distance education model shall continue for them. All assessment and evaluation shall continue online except for classes 10 and 12.”
Four City Montessori School campuses —Jopling Road, Rajendra Nagar 2, Rajajipuram 2 and Aliganj Campus 2— reopened for Classes 6 to 8. The remaining CMS campuses will open from February 15 after the pre-board exams for classes 10 and 12 are over.
“The attendance in these four campuses varied from 40% to 65% in both the shifts. The schools were spruced up to welcome the students and properly sanitized before the children’s arrival in both the shifts. Every student was scanned with a thermal scanner at the entry gate. Proper seating with social distancing was seen in the classrooms,” said Rishi Khanna, CMS spokesman.
At New Public School, Neelmatga as class 8 students entered into the school, they were briefed about COVID-19 guidelines that restrict students from shaking hands, sharing notebooks and stationery with each other.
The teachers told students to stay at safe distance with each other, said Govind Agarwal, manager of the school. He said they have called students of class 6 on Mondays and Thursdays, class 7 on Tuesdays and Fridays and class 8 on Wednesdays and Saturdays as per order issued by Renuka Kumar, additional chief secretary, UP basic education department.
A number of parents, however, refused to send their children to school fearing safety of their children. Deepak Agarwal, a resident of Maqboolganj did not send his son, Arun Goel, a class 8 student. “I will send him on Saturday. Let me assess the situation first as his annual examination is drawing near,” he said. Barring a few missionaries/convent schools which have decided to restart physical classes only from the new academic session in the state capital, majority of private English medium schools resumed physical classes from Wednesday.