A headmistress from a government school in Palladam, Tiruppur district visited over 50 residences of her students on Sunday in an effort to increase attendance in her school following its reopening.
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A. Pushpalatha, headmistress of Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Palladam, said on Monday that she visited 57 residences in three villages around the school namely 63 Velampalayam, Ammapalayam and Kallampalayam.
With 310 students studying in Classes IX to XII in the school, only 182 showed up on September 1, the reopening day, she said. By Saturday, it increased to only about 210 students. “Hence, I decided to visit their houses on Sunday so that I can meet the students and their parents,” Ms. Pushpalatha said.
While some parents were hesitant to send their students to school amid the COVID-19 situation, other parents were allegedly allowing their children to work in private garment companies and other works as their livelihoods were affected due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns. “We warned such parents that legal action could be initiated against them and explained the various schemes of the State government available to them,” the headmistress said.
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On Monday, there was about a 30% increase in the attendance of the students following the visits, she said. This initiative would continue this week, according to Ms. Pushpalatha.
When contacted, Tiruppur Chief Educational Officer R. Ramesh said that surveys to estimate the number of out-of-school children in the district were under way and allegations of school children going for work will be investigated.