As schools get ready to reopen for all classes from Tuesday, the district administration has directed school heads to clean and sanitise their premises.
Students need time to acclimatise themselves to the school environment. Since they are coming back after a rather long break, the academic process could pick up momentum only gradually, teachers said.
At the Pirattiyur Panchayat Union Middle School here, admissions had increased markedly in 2021. A total of 593 new students had enrolled in the school, increasing the strength to 900. To accommodate the students in a safe manner, the school administration has decided to conduct classes on a shift basis. "The district administration has asked us to keep the classrooms clean, make arrangements for sanitisers, hand wash and also check students' body temperature when they enter the campus. Random fever checks will also be conducted," said Headmistress Asha Devi.
Students and teachers have welcomed the move to return to schools as they were looking forward to learning. “Many students do not have access to mobile phones or Internet connections to attend online classes. It has been very difficult to teach them, our teachers have gone door-to-door to teach for over two years,” she said.
Similar thoughts were echoed by Mercy Grace, Headmistress, Government Syed Murtaza Higher Secondary School, who said that additional efforts were being made to ensure students, especially in Class 10 and 12, returned to school. “We make phone calls to the parents and request them to send the students to school. However, many come from underprivileged backgrounds and send the children for work,” she said.
A chunk of students had become untraceable and teachers have even gone to their houses in search of them. Many would have migrated in search of work, she added.
