Students leave hostels in Bhadradri

Kothagudem: As the cases among students are increasing after Covid second attack, the students, who are residing in hostels in Kothagudem district, are returning to their houses.

According to information, as many as 25,071 students, studying from sixth to tenth class are staying in SC, ST and BC hostels. After the schools were reopened, which were closed due to corona induced lockdown, only 50 to 60 per cent of students came to stay in hostels and the remaining students didn't came due to fear of coronavirus. Despite the officials' efforts and initiatives, parents are reluctant to send their wards to hostels.

A parent of a seventh-class student in Bhadrachalam said that the situation is becoming worse and there are reports that many students were tested Covid positive. He questioned how they could send their children to hostels where hundreds of students live.

There are 14 Kasturba Vidyalaya, nine social welfare hotels, 56 tribal welfare hostels, 10 BC welfare hostels, six minority and other hostels in the district. The Education department has begun classes for 9 and 10 class students from February 1 and those for 6 to 8th classes started from February 24.

But there is only 50% attendance in many areas and even below in some other areas. Though the officials are motivating the students to come to hostels and boosting up confidence by assuring of taking all Covid-19 precautions, majority students and their parents in the district are not ready to take risk.

Speaking to the media, District Education Officer E Somasekhar Sharma informed that they were contacting the parents over phone and motivating them to send their children to hostels and direct classes. But there is not much response from them, he added. "We are putting continuous effort to bring 100% students to hostels. We are following all Covid-19 norms like sanitisation, maintaining social distance etc,' he added.