For K. Devika, a student of Class VIII of a Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Dindigul, school reopening has never been the happiest. “It is very exciting to be back at school and have a sense of routine. To resume normal school and learning from teachers in classrooms as usual is relieving,” she said.
After a lapse of two years owing to COVID-19 induced lockdowns, 1,979 schools–comprising government, government-aided and private–in the districts are reopening for the academic year 2022-23 to accommodate students in full strength.
G. Shanthi, Headmistress, Government High School in Chettinaickenpatti near Dindigul, said that they received students with flowers and sweets.
“We are just happy to see classrooms filled with students. Teachers filed in before 8 a.m. making necessary arrangements to welcome the students. We have already had 25 new admissions for various classes,” said.
She said that sprucing up works on the school premises were taken up for the past three days in view of the reopening.
Various new methods like using ‘Read Along’ app to develop language skills, instituting an Internal Complaints Committee headed by a senior female teacher of a school in the school etc has been made to ensure a smooth academic year.
“Nowadays, government schools have all the facilities and their standards are good,” said the mother of V. Mahesh Bhoopathi who has been admitted in Class VI in the government school in Chettinaickenpatti.
Free textbooks, notebooks and stationery items were distributed to students in government and government-aided schools in the district.
“We were able to see the eagerness in children to get back to school. Though it is a challenging task to bring them back to focus on academics full time after a long irregular gap of two years,” said a teacher from a private school in Dindigul.
Jacob John, a parent of a Class IV student of another private school in Dindigul, said that the beginning of offline classes is a huge relief to parents as online classes did not give the real feel of schools to children.
“Regular school ensures face-to-face interaction of students and teachers which is the ideal way of learning. Children getting detached from mobile phones is a huge relief as well,” he added.
For S. Edward, stationery shop owner on A.M.C. Road, sales have been enormous for the past week ahead of schools reopening.
“Little kids eagerly purchased pencils, colour pencils, especially school bags with popular cartoon characters on them sold like hot cakes. Though the sale of notebooks was a bit dull as schools provide them,” he said.
