VIJAYAWADA: Schools in Andhra Pradesh reopened on Monday after a gap of seven months amid strict Covid-19 protocols, although classes were held only for students of classes 9 and 10. A total of 39.62 per cent of class 9 and 43.65 per cent of class 10 students attended the 98.84 per cent of schools which resumed functioning across the state as they are outside containment zones. Teachers’ attendance stood at 87.78 per cent.
A watchman of AP Model School in Nandavaram, Marripadu mandal and two students of Zilla Parishad High School in Pathavellanti, Nellore district tested positive for Covid-19. The schools were sanitised after the cases were reported. In Krishna district, more number of students from rural parts than in urban areas attended the schools. District collector A Md Imtiaz attributed the same to dense population and lack of accessibility to technology in villages.
“In the district, more people live in rural areas. Almost all students from the urban areas belong to either ‘high-tech’ or ‘low-tech’ categories, while a large number of pupils in rural parts belong to the ‘no-tech’ category. This could have led to higher attendance in those areas,” Imatiaz told TNIE.
Lakshmi, principal of Montessori Children School in the city, hoped that the attendance will increase by next week. “As many as 70 per cent of our students come from Krishna Lanka. Several of them either do not have access to smart phones or have minimal access. As it was the first day, not many turned up. A few students had to be sent back as they did not bring a consent letter from their parents.
However, the attendance will increase by next week,” she said. Principal of Bishop Azariaha Government High School J Mary Grace said only nine students of class 10 and 11 of class 9 attended the school on Monday. “Several parents have communicated to us that they will send their kids after Diwali or from new year.”
Sharing her reason to send her son to his school, Bhavani from Vijayawada said: “My son is weak in studies and lacks in focus during online classes. For him, it is good if he goes to school and studies in the physical presence of his teachers. Also, as the government has issued many norms and told schools to take care of students’ safety, we were ready to take the risk.”
K Prashant, a student, said it is easy to learn in physical classes than in online classes. “During online classes, one cannot interrupt teachers to clarify doubts, which is possible in schools.” While most schools followed the important Covid-19 protocols, such as checking body temperature of students, allowing students only after parents give consent, conducting Covid-19 orientation classes and providing sanitiser, norms such as checking for Covid-19 test result certificate and maintaining social distance while serving midday meals were flouted in some schools in Vijayawada, it was observed. Second-year Intermediate classes also resumed on Monday. Though all government and aided colleges in the city reopened, several private institutions did not hold classes.