GUWAHATI: Schools reopened in Assam on Monday after a gap of seven months but attendance was thin.
Earlier, the state government had asked schools and colleges to ensure maximum adherence to the COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) following their reopening. Attendance in schools is on a voluntary basis and the students were asked to carry a written consent from parents.
The schools reopened for students of classes 6-12. The classes were held in two shifts. According to the government guidelines, a maximum of 20 students can attend a class at a time.
Syed Anisur Rahman, who is the general secretary of Assam Higher Secondary Teachers and Employees' Association, said only a small number of students had turned up on Monday.
"The attendance of students in schools was very thin. Roughly around 10% of them attended their classes. In some places, the turnout was around 5%," Rahman told The New Indian Express.
He said the parents were not giving consent due to their fear over the pandemic. He also said that most schools could not follow the SOP entirely.
"The government had issued a long list of SOPs. But most schools could not follow them. Adherence involves cost but who will give the money? The principals did all that they could," Rahman added.
Senior officials of the state's education department did not take phone calls. Given the pandemic, the parents felt it would be risky to send their wards to schools now.
"Mizoram had reopened schools for students of classes 10-12 on October 16. Just days later, 20 students were found positive for the disease. So, I feel it is risky to send the children to schools now," said Guwahati resident Ratan Karmakar.
After the spike in the cases, the Mizoram government had on October 26 shut all schools.
IPE Global, which is an international development consulting firm, however, favours schools' reopening. It said staggered classes and increasing school time, with a few classes on a given day instead of all classes, could help tackle the problem.
"It is important to gradually and responsibly start opening schools. This will not only help students to recover but also allow teachers to understand where children currently are in terms of learning levels. Children would certainly feel better being in their 'community' and in many cases, will get their due nutrition through mid-day-meal," IPE Global director of education and skills development Shalender Sharma said.