There was a festive atmosphere at several lower primary classes as students returned to schools after 19 months. For many, particularly those in Classes I and II, it was their first time on the school campus.
Many classrooms were decorated with balloons and flowers as well as cartoon characters drawn on the walls. The teachers also distributed sweets and chocolates to students and went out of their way to ensure that their children were comfortable.
Many schools ran classes in batches as they did not have sufficient infrastructure and they used all the classrooms to maintain physical distancing.
All schools had temperature checks at the entrance and ensured that students sanitised their hands and wore masks before entering the campuses.
Attendance
Classes I to V were closed in March 2020 when COVID-19 cases were first reported in Karnataka. According to statistics provided by the Department of Public Instruction, the attendance ranged between 23 and 27% for Classes I to V. About 60% of the total 62,032 schools did not enter data and feed in the attendance. The attendance on the first day was higher in government schools than in private schools. Many private schools had decided to reopen after Deepavali in the second week of November after receiving requests from parents.
High demand
On the first day, many government schools also saw a huge beeline on their campuses as many parents wanted to shift their children from private to government schools. Many private schools have seen a dip in admissions and are expecting it to improve.
Many private schools had invited parents to come and observe the implementation of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour so that they could feel confident and send their children to school.
