After 18 long months of COVID-19-induced silence, schools and PU colleges in Dharwad district came back to life on Monday with close to 65% of students attending classes on the first day.
Amid apprehensions about the pandemic, it was a festival like atmosphere on campuses of educational institutions as students were eager to meet their teachers and friends. Teachers and administrative staff greeted their students with roses and bouquets, while strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocol. And, a majority of schools had festival-like decorations and rangolis drawn at the entrance. In many schools, SSLC toppers were felicitated and they shared their success stories.
As per government circular, districts with positivity rate of less than 2% have been permitted to allow reopening of schools and in Dharwad district, the positivity rate has dipped to zero. All the 416 government, aided and unaided high schools in the district reopened for Class IX and X students on Monday. Officials of the departments of Health and Public Instruction had made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the health protocol is adhered to during school hours.
Minister for Handloom, Textile, Sugarcane Development and Sugar Shankar Patil Munenakoppa visited a government school at Chalamatti village in Kalghatgi taluk and interacted with teachers, officials and students.
Emphasising the need to maintain physical distancing in seating arrangements, best practices such as washing hands regularly, wearing face masks and drinking warm water, the Minister directed the department officials to visit schools on a regular basis to review the situation. He urged students to remember that many people who studied in government schools have made great contributions to the country and they too can achieve success through dedication and perseverance.
He was accompanied by Kalghatgi MLA C.M. Nimbannavar and others.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commisioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil took part in the school reopening programme at Karnataka Public School at Navanagar where he welcomed students with flowers and distributed sweets. Mr. Patil asked students not to forget that the threat of the pandemic is still there and they should strictly follow the health protocol.
Attendance
Deputy Director of Public Instruction Mohan Hanchate has said that a total of 14,639 boys and 12,600 girls have enrolled for Class IX in 416 schools in the district. Of these, 9,878 boys and 8,475 girls attended offline classes on Monday. For Class X, 16,072 boys and 14,854 girls have enrolled and of these, 10,825 boys and 10,166 girls attended classes recording a overall attendance percentage of 65.38%.
There are 27 government, 39 aided and 110 private PU colleges in Dharwad district. According to Deputy Director of PU Education K. Chidambar, 7,069 students attended offline classes on Monday making it 64% attendance.
Meanwhile, members of Pandit Puttaraj Gavai Foundation led by its secretary Marthandappa Katti visited various government schools in Dharwad city to sensitise students on adopting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. They also distributed hand wash and sanitisers to students.
