KOCHI: The usual fanfare and buzz of school reopening was missing when classes resumed partially on Friday. However, students were excited to be back in the schools after being confined to homes for the past 10 months and getting to meet at least some of their friends.
According to the directorate of general education, there were no complaints from parents on the arrangements made at schools to adhere to Covid protocol. Considering that only 50 per cent of the students are allowed on a given day, the attendance was less. “These are just doubt-clearing classes and not regular sessions. Also, this is the usual norm every first day of school. The attendance could be low but would pick up the very next day,” an official said.
According to Radhika C, headmistress of SRV Boys High School in Ernakulam, parents are being cautious. “They want to see how things are going. One can’t blame them. The times are such. Also, these are only doubt-clearing sessions,” she said. Interestingly, many heads of the institution are getting to meet their students for the first time since their transfers. Radhika is one such headmistress.
“This is my third posting and I had been looking forward to meeting my students. But Covid played spoilsport and it is only now that I am getting to meet them, albeit only Class 10 students,” said the headmistress.
“The fewer number of students was because the classes were held in two shifts,” she added.
According to the principal of a higher secondary school, the Covid protocol was abided by strictly. “It is a difficult task when it comes to teenagers who are seeing their friends after 10 long months. But the teachers ensured that the students maintained social distancing and were not huddled together,” said the principal.