E-Paper
Karnataka resumes physical classes for senior students
In the first phase, physical classes have been reopened for students of classes 9 and 10. The government however decided not to reopen schools and PU colleges in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, and Mysuru as the Covid-19 positivity rate is above 2%.
Schools and Pre-University (PU) colleges in Karnataka, except in five districts having more than two percent Covid test positivity rate, reopened on Monday after a gap of five months.
In the first phase, physical classes have been reopened for students of classes 9 and 10. The government however decided not to reopen schools and PU colleges in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, and Mysuru as the Covid-19 positivity rate is above 2%.
On the occasion, chief minister Basavaraj S Bommai visited several schools to take stock of the safety measures. Talking to media, he said, that reopening of for students provided freedom after lockdowns. “Students are very happy. It’s like, they have got a freedom today from Covid-19. August 15 is celebrated as a freedom for the country but for our students from classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 it’s real freedom for them with the opening of schools,” he said.
Bommai added that online classes had posed several problems for the students, especially for those facing network problems. “In the physical classes, they can interact better with their teachers. Apart from better teaching and understanding, students are happy that they are now with their friends,” the chief minister said.
As per the data released by the Education Department, on the first day, 21.08% attendance was reported for the class 10 while for class 9, the attendance was at 19.5%. Out of the 961,748 students who have enrolled for class 9, 188,077 attended classes on Monday. For class 10, 203,777 out of the 966,481 registered students attended classes. The highest attendance was reported in Uttara Kannada, which recorded 53.38% and 54.07% attendance in classes 9 and 10 respectively.
During his interaction, CM Bommai asked teachers, staff, and students to follow Covid-19 norms. “There will be an experts’ committee meeting by the month-end. Looking at the situation, we will take a call on two things -- one is regarding border districts and second is classes for class 1 to the class 8,” the chief minister said.
Bommai said if the reopening of schools becomes successful, August 23 will be celebrated as Education Day just as September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day. He also said that this day is important as it will liberate children from Covid-19.
The government decided to start the classes from Monday on the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19. The TAC had said that the teachers and other staff in the schools and PU colleges should be vaccinated first.
Further, it said the classrooms should be sanitized, social distancing and hand hygiene should be maintained and everyone should wear masks compulsorily.
The primary and secondary education minister BC Nagesh visited a few schools in the city and interacted with students. On the directions of the chief minister, the district in-charge ministers visited a few schools in their respective districts on Monday.
In November 2020, degree colleges were opened and later in January 2021, class 10 and pre-university colleges were opened for a brief period. The experiment could not continue for long as the second wave had hit the country and Karnataka was among the worst affected states reporting over 50,000 cases and about 500 fatalities daily.
(With inputs from PTI)
