“Do you wish you were home” asked a headmistress of a Chennai Corporation Primary School to under-10-year-old students who had flocked to school on a brisk morning after vacation. And, the answer from the 100-odd students was a resounding “No!”
Apparently, only adults worry about the heat. Children are happy to be back with their friends and take home new books and notebooks.
At another primary school, which has had five new entrants in class I so far, the teachers armed themselves with chocolates to keep the children at school till 4 p.m.
Girija Devi, principal, Anna Gem Science Park Matriculation, said that as it was the first day, they worked half-day and skipped regular classes.
With some speculation about the school reopening dates being pushed from June 2 to the week after, M. Tamilselvi, whose daughter joins class II this year, made it to school right in time. “We were not in station, and were planning to stay longer because it seemed like the reopening dates may be pushed,” she said.
Some parents wonder if their children would be studying with the same set of friends this year. S. Bhooma, principal, P.S. Matriculation Higher Secondary School, said that they don’t shuffle students between sections too much. “The idea is to help students make friends and not everyone is shuffled,” she said.
Some schools said that they would be reopening for kindergarten classes later this week or by June 9. However, some matriculation schools said that they were awaiting the Samacheer Kalvi textbooks, and are expecting to receive them in a day or two.
