More than 23 months after they closed in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, schools in the State resumed in full swing for the first time on Monday.
Students arrived in full strength to attend classes from morning to evening, as in pre-pandemic times. While COVID-19 safety protocols were still mandatory, campuses resounded with children’s voices and laughter, as they caught up with classmates
Nearly 82.77% attendance was recorded on Day One in schools. The turnout in lower and upper primary and high school segments was 80.23%. In higher secondary wing, the attendance was 82.18% and in vocational higher secondary it was 85.91%.
Most and least
The maximum attendance in lower and upper primary, and high school segments was in Kannur district – 93%. The least was in Pathanamthitta – 51.9%. In higher secondary section, the maximum attendance was in Kasaragod – 88.54%. The least was in Ernakulam – 72.28%. In vocational higher secondary, the maximum was in Ernakulam (97%), and the least in Kannur (71.48%).
Schools had resumed in November last after one entire academic year of online classes, but with COVID-19 still looming large classes were held in small batches till afternoon.
This week onwards, batches have been scrapped and regular school hours restored.
Even though a handful of students still stayed away, largely because of health issues or COVID-19, schools registered good attendance overall.
Distancing, a struggle
With two to four students sharing benches, social distancing in the classrooms was not possible, but schools tried to prevent crowding as much as they could. Other COVID-19 protocols such as masks, hand wash, and sanitising were also followed.
Schools, though, encountered problems in managing lower primary students and their parents who had come to drop and pick up students. Some schools saw a slight dip in attendance owing to buses running on fewer routes.
At Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thycaud, 90% of the students turned up. Nearly all students in the 15-17 age group had been vaccinated, school authorities said. Students had been directed to maintain distancing, particularly during lunchtime, and teachers kept an eye out for protocol violations.
At Government Lower Primary School, Cotton Hill, that has more than 1,200 students, most turned up. Only those students who had health issues or those hailing from other districts were absent. Students were happy to be back in school, though it would be at least a week before everything settled into a s mooth routine, school authorities said.
At Government Lower Primary School, Cotton Hill, that has more than 1,200 students, most turned up. Only those students who had health issues or those hailing from other districts were absent. Students were happy to be back in school, though it would be at least a week before everything settled into a s mooth routine, school authorities said.
