The countdown to school reopening has begun. On September 1, schools across the State are set to throw open their doors to students, teachers and administrative staff, but that’s not the only reason why the date is significant. The day will also show how several private schools in Hyderabad and other urban centres of the State survived the COVID-19 pandemic.
Telangana had 11,688 private schools in 2019-20. Now, the number has shrunk to 10,819, showing a decline of 869 private schools. School managements that have survived the lockdown spread over two academic sessions are keen about the reopening and return to normalcy.
“We are excited about reopening of schools. We will follow all COVID-19 safety protocols. All the teachers and non-teaching staff are vaccinated as part of the special drive conducted by the government,” said Uma Maheshwara Rao, president of Telangana Recognised Schools Management Association.
“School managements have been informally asked to be flexible regarding fee and welcome all students without creating hurdles. We are asking parents to trust us with the safety of their children,” said Mr. Rao, who also runs a private school in the Raj Bhavan area.
School-cleaning activity is also under way. “Sanitisation and cleanliness take priority as the facilities have not been used for nearly two years,” said M. Raghu, who runs a private school in the city.
A visit to a private school in MS Maqtha shows the challenges being faced by schools as they race to clean up and welcome students. The desks and tables are covered with dust as well as fine powder, showing the work of termites. The floor is covered with a layer of dust and floating trash. The walls with peeling paint have a thick blanket of cobwebs.
A majority of budget schools in Hyderabad are in Asifnagar (218), Bahadurpura (232), Bandlaguda (233) mandals out of the 2,903 private schools in the city. While a number of school managements operating from rented premises have spread the word about the closure, others are yet to inform the parents and schoolchildren, fearing loss of government recognition. Wednesday will be a reality check for many parents sending their wards to private budget schools.
