Amid drumbeats and traditional dances, students of Classes I to VIII, who came to school after 19 months on Monday, were accorded warm reception.
As many as 2.19 lakh students from Classes I to VIII study in 1,712 schools, comprising 1,287 government, 122 aided and 303 unaided, in the district. Many schools were decorated with flowers and a grand reception was organised at the entrances. In most of the schools, students were welcomed with flowers, pencils, geometry boxes, and sweets, while aarti was performed for children in a few schools in the city.
At the Government Girls Model Higher Secondary School at Panneerselvam Park, Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy and Collector H. Krishnanunni welcomed the children with flowers and sweets. The Minister also distributed school bags and books to the children. The celebrations were muted in many primary schools across the district where the strength of the students is less than 20.
In Salem, there are a total of 2,400 government and private schools comprising 1,110 primary schools, 366 middle schools, 136 high schools and 159 higher secondary schools. Collector S. Karmegam welcomed the students at the Corporation Primary School at Manakadu by garlanding them and distributing sweets to them.
In Namakkal, Minister for Tourism M. Mathiventhan along with Collector Shreya P. Singh welcomed the students at the Panchayat Union Middle School at Bodinaickenpatti.
Children were given school bags and books on the first day.
Teachers said only storytelling, drawing and creative sessions would be held in the first two weeks to prepare them to sit in the class after 600 days. They added that students were instructed not to remove their masks while on the school premises and also not to share their food or water with their friends.
