Higher primary schools on Monday resumed physical classes for the first time since last year as the COVID-19 cases in Mysuru district continued to fall, making way for their reopening.
Even as nearly 80 per cent of students from Class 9 and 10 are turning up for classroom teaching after the high schools were reopened on August 23, offline classes for Class 6 to 8 also got off to a start much to the excitement of children who were out of schools since last year over the pandemic.
On day one, about 40-50 per cent of attendance was witnessed across the district and the officials from the Department of Public Instruction were hoping to see a rise in the turnout in the coming days like it was noticed in the case of high schools.
The children were welcomed with roses and sweets/chocolates in most schools which were also specially decorated. There was a festive ambience in schools as students turned up happily wearing uniforms.
Deputy Director of Public Instruction Ramachandra Raje Urs, who visited various schools to check the arrangements and the turnout, said the turnout will go up once the festive season is done. But the attendance on day one in most schools was encouraging and there are hopes of school education coming back to normal in the days ahead.
Mysuru district has 1,33,669 students studying in classes 6 to 8 in 1,617 schools, which have 12,931 teachers.“The teachers were excited to greet the children. We hope that the situation permits schools to function smoothly and normally like they were in pre-COVID-19 days,” Mr. Urs said.
Meanwhile, the vaccination of teachers is almost reaching 100 per cent in the district after the drive was launched ahead of the reopening of high schools on August 23. Barring 47 teachers, all others are either partially or fully vaccinated.
“I had sent CRPs (cluster resource persons) to meet each of the unvaccinated teachers to know the reason for not taking the jab. We have come to know that a few underwent surgeries or are facing some health issues. They had been advised to seek medical advice and get the jab soon. Otherwise, the unvaccinated teachers will be told to go on compulsory leave,” the DDPI said, adding that the number of unvaccinated teachers was more in Hunsur taluk.
