Student turnout takes a hit due to viral fevers

Rajendranagar: Schools under Rajendranagar area has been witnessing a steep dip in student attendance recently. Seasonal diseases are blamed for children not turning up for days together. The heavy rush at various hospitals in and around the area waiting in long lines holding children in their laps substantiates the case.

Few pupils are turning up at schools, as the children are down with viral fevers. "The students, who manage to come the school also appear ill, as they are showing less attentiveness and often lean on the benches," said a teacher of a private school at Attapur on the condition of anonymity.

There are many such examples that give a bleak picture of the schools here in Rajendranagar. Almost all the schools are less or more witnessing the same situations on the premises.

According to official record, a total of 66 government schools are being run in Rajendranagar. Of which, 52 are primary schools and the remaining 14 are of upper primary schools. There are 13 ZPHS schools in Rajendranagar and Gandipet together.

"If more than 10 students show sign of serious kind of fever, then the Mandal Educational Office will swiftly take all necessary precautions to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. So far, no such case or situation occurred that demanded measures that were set to deal in emergency situations," said an official in the department on the condition of anonymity.

"We are implementing Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) in schools under our purview. During the programme, the students are mainly allowed to remove some papers and other miscellaneous stuff scattered around their classrooms and while planting saplings on the premises during Haritha Haram program."

"We have appointed scavengers in our schools. The government is paying Rs 2500 per monthly to clean the toilets. There is no provision of involving children to clean the toilets during such programmes," he said.