Hyderabad: Schools in city come alive as students are back

Happy days are back again as youngsters pining to meet their friends and study in regular classes at last got a chance to return to temples of learning. Schools and colleges in Telangana reopened nearly after 11 months, bringing back the atmosphere of the days when children in their colourful dresses rushed to their schools during the early morning hours. Even though the attendance was less than half in most of the schools, parents tried their best to ensure the children reach to their school on time through whatever means of transportation.

The physical classrooms have resumed for students of Class 9 and above following strict guidelines like wearing face masks and social distancing, and the schools decorated the entire premises as to welcome students after 10 months. Most of the schools saw around 41 percent attendance in class IX and 54 percent in class X on the reopening of schools.

The schools have not come up with a plan in regards with transportation, and only one or two buses were observed on the roads. "Many parents dropped their wards considering it safer than the school transportation and a few parents have demanded that the school bus should seat limited students like one seat accommodating to one student only with precautionary measures" said vice president of Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA)

The schools have allowed only the students only after taking the consent letters from parents and provided masks to those who did not have one, arranged sanitizers and checked the body temperatures of students through thermal guns.

The schools had staggered timings to avoid crowding and restricted to maximum numbers of students in a classroom to 20 to ensure physical distancing.

"They asked us to submit our Covid-19 certificate and they did not check our temperature with a thermal gun. Although other guidelines were followed, and they segregated hostels students with the other ones to ensure social distancing. There were 7 students in my section, the attendance was low," said a student of class X.

By and large, the class X saw a greater number of students. The government and local body schools, in class IX saw 43 percent of attendance and in class X 54 percent and the private schools saw 49 percent attendance in class 9 and 61 in class 10 and model schools witnessed 36 percent of students and class 10 saw 54 percent attendance.

Speaking to the school management, Yadigiri Shekhar Rao said that the transportation will be provided from February 15 after the students attendance increases till then the parents have to think of mode of commute to send their wards to schools.

ATTENDANCE AT A GLANCE

Private

♦ There are 6,373 private high schools

♦ Enrolled in class 9 are 1,97,906 and the attendance was 97403 -49%

♦ Class X enrollment-201858 and the attendance was 122526-61%

Govt &local bodies There are 4,668 schools

Class 9 enrollment 1,90,669

43% attended 81,967

Class 10 Enrollment 1,93,189

54% attended 1,03,873