KOLKATA: Campuses across Bengal throbbed back to life on Tuesday after a 20-month pandemic break as a section of school, college and university students resumed physical classes even as they tried hard to adjust to the new normal of mask-wearing, physical-distancing and hybrid teaching norms.
While it wasn’t a boisterous return, it was an emotional one as classmates and teachers connected outside a virtual world after an agonisingly long wait. If Covid curbs didn’t allow physical hugs, there was no stopping the exuberent high-fives, fist bumps and groupfies.
Father Rodney Borneo, principal of St Augustine’s Day School, Shyamnagar, said nothing could be more pleasing to the ears than the school bell ringing after 20 months. “We asked the bell man to go on ringing the bell for a little longer. It seemed to be the harbinger of good times,” he said
Martyn Cherian, a student of class IX at Don Bosco Park Circus, said he didn’t sleep the whole night and “got up when it was still dark to get ready for school”. Aishee Banerjee, a class XI student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, literally ran to fist-bump her friends. “This is undoubtedly one of the best days in my life ever. There is no better feeling than meeting my friends after such a long time,” she gushed. Pahal Patnaik, a class XII student of DPS Newtown, was just happy to soak in the feeling of sitting in a classroom in front of teachers among friends. “At home we felt so lonely all this while,” he said.
If it was the joy of meeting old friends in schools, for many college and university students it was the wonder of stepping into their campuses for the first time and greeting classmates they had only seen online.
Rohit Roy, a first-year post-graduate student at Presidency University who had lost both his legs to polio, did not want to wait till hostel accommodation was available to visit the campus. On the first day of reopening, mother Reba steered him into the campus in his wheelchair. Residents of Nabadwip, the mother-son duo took a train and then a bus to the university.
At another end of the Presidency campus, Tisha Haldar, a second-year sociology student, was seen chatting with classmate Ankita Sarkar. Though it was their first visit to the university, the two had bonded in online classes.
There were others like Bhaswar Haldar, who had reconciled to the fact that he might never go back to college again. He was in the last semester of his UG course in Presidency University when campuses shut down. “Now, I have reached the last year of my post-graduation. I was certain I would have to complete my PG online because there was no sign of educational institutes reopening. I have only a few months left but something is better than nothing,” Bhaswar said.
The teachers were no less thrilled to be back among students. At most institutions they were present on the campus before the students arrived.
“I congratulate you for the courage you have shown to come back to school. However, these are different times and you should not let the guard down and follow all safety protocols so that this joy of reunion is not short lived,” said John Stephen, acting principal of La Martiniere for Boys, through a public address system as boys of classes IX and XI listened to him sitting in their respective classes.
At St Lawrence High School, children even managed a little birthday celebration around their principal, Father Jimmy Francis Keepuram, who distributed chocolates among them. “I hope this joy is not short-lived,” said Kabir Hossain a student of class X.
While schools witnessed an average of 72% attendance, colleges recorded 78% and universities had an even higher attendance of 85%.
Education minister Bratya Basu said later in the day that as per reports received from across the state, every school had a good percentage of attendance. “Depending on the Covid situation it will be decided later whether to reopen the junior sections in a phased manner,” he said.
