HYDERABAD: Schools in Telangana reopened after a gap of 10 months for classes IX and X on Monday, with strict Covid-19 protocols in place, but registered very low attendance. Students who attended school on Monday were quite happy to meet their friends after the hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many schools and junior colleges saw less than 50 per cent attendance.
According to official data released by the Directorate of School Education, only 45 per cent students from Class IX, X and intermediate first and second years attended school on Monday. Of the 9,59,914 enrollments, 4,43,507 regular students attended schools and junior colleges. The low numbers have raised concerns that a significant number of students have dropped out of school due to financial constraints.
S Sreenivas Reddy, president, Telangana Recognised Schools Managements Association, said, “We have to wait for a week or two before we conclude that students have dropped out. Many are not even attending online classes.”
According to the State government guidelines, students had to carry a written consent signed by their parents or guardians before entering the school premises. For this reason, many students and parents chose online classes in Hyderabad, Medchal and Rangareddy districts, where attendance was under 40 per cent. In rural areas attendance was over 50 per cent.
Attendance at most junior colleges in the State was even lower, with only 25 per cent first-year students and 17 per cent second-year students showing up. Degree colleges, technical institutes, and universities, where written consent was not a mandate, also registered poor attendance. When Express visited a TMREIS residential school in Musheerabad, only two out of 63 students attended classes.
However, education department officials say attendance is likely to rise gradually. “I am sure parents, after learning that it’s safe, will send kids to schools,” an official said. State Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy visited Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS), Shivrampally and questioned students about the arrangements made by the school staff.