E-Paper
Attendance getting back to normal in Chandigarh schools
On the first day of reopening on February 13, attendance was around 14%, but it has now jumped to over 90% in some schools
Even though schools in Chandigarh initially saw low turnout after they were allowed to reopen with full capacity on February 14 amid the dipping Covid-19 cases, attendance has now started picking up.
On the first day of reopening, attendance was around 14%, but it has now jumped to over 90% in some schools.
President of the Independent School Association HS Mamik, who is also the chairman of Vivek High School in Sector 38, said, “Parents of children in junior classes are more interested in sending their kids to schools than those of board classes. Overall, our attendance is 90%,” he said.
Even at Strawberry Fields High School in Sector 26, there is near-perfect attendance, as per director Atul Khanna. “After opening to a lukewarm response, attendance is now over 90%,” he said. The school has also restarted bus facility for kids and six buses are currently operational.
The attendance is higher in private schools than in government ones. Seema Rani, principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Dhanas , said around 60% students are coming to school.
“Classes are being organised in shifts to ensure that there is no overcrowding. Many kids faced difficulties in attending online classes, but they can now clear their doubts through offline classes.”
Although inner sector government schools were seeing lower attendance than the ones situated in the periphery of the city, the overall attendance is around 50% as per UT district education officer Prabhjot Kaur.
“With practicals for board classes set to start soon and year-end exams for other classes also around the corner, we expect that attendance will stay high,” she said.
President of the Chandigarh Parents’ Association, Nitin Goyal said, “With the number of Covid cases going down, parents also don’t have as many inhibitions about sending their kids to school. Exams have started in various schools, while some have given preparatory leave. We expect the situation to go back to normal for the next academic session.”
