Tirupati: Government schools see 60% turn out

Tirupati: The schools in the city echoed with the chirping of toddlers with the reopening of primary schools on Monday following the government orders.

The schools were shut down following the nationwide lockdown declared by the Centre to prevent the spread of the pandemic in March last year and the state government first permitted reopening of high schools in November and now, the primary schools with the gradual improvement of situation with the steady declining of Covid cases in the state.

Thanks to the steep fall in the Covid cases and the near normalcy in the pilgrim city seems to be emboldened the parents to send their wards to the schools resulting in the attendance in school reaching satisfactory level as the average attendance stood at about 60 per cent in the city.

Sudha, a parent said that she sent her daughter to school only after she was convinced that there will be no risk to her child.

There are 35 Corporation schools in the city including 30 primary and 5 upper primary with a total strength of 3,748 against 2,211 students attended on the day, according to official sources adding that the authorities and school management including school headmaster, teachers and staff ensured all required safety measures.

The Anganwadi centres also reopened in some areas in the city where toddlers were seen playing or singing rhymes loudly while the Ayas busy in restraining the recalcitrant children.

Corporation Sarojinidevi elementary school headmistress E Parvathy said on their part, the teachers in the class while taking the lessons repeatedly stressing the children not to remove masks and follow physical distance till they return home and special efforts are being made to keep the school premises clean and tidy.

However, most of the private schools are still to reopen in the city and the attendance in the few schools that were commenced today was nominal.

A private school correspondent said that as the government order was issued only on Saturday, the preparations like readying school buses, staff including teachers and sub-staff i.e Aayas still to be done by the private schools for the reopening of their schools. "The private schools will commence in three four days,'' he added.

It is also learnt that many schools prefer to commence on auspicious day so they are taking few more day for reopening of the school.

Meanwhile, the attendance in the schools in rural areas was less compared to the city.