Government schools reopen in Haryana to only 25% attendance in first week

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

 Chandigarh, November 8

Only 25 per cent attendance was reported in government schools of the state in the first week of their reopening after a long hiatus of more than five months due to the Covid-induced lockdown.

Sources say even though the attendance in Classes IX to XII increased over the course of the last week, parents are still reluctant to send their wards to schools.

“The government hopes the number of students attending classes will double in the coming week,” Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said.

He further said the government re-opened government schools to gauge the response of the parents and the public.

“Over the course of the last week, the number of students increased gradually. This is an encouraging sign. Seeing the response, the government has decided to reopen private schools and colleges. Wait for another week,” Gujjar said.

The district-wise break-up of attendance shows that government schools in Yamunanagar saw the poorest response with only 14 per cent students attending school. Ambala and Kukukshetra saw only 17 per cent students return to classes, while 18 per cent students attended school in Sonepat.

The most “encouraging” response came from Panchkula and Mahendragarh, where 39 per cent students attended classes in the first week. Rewari recorded an attendance of 38 per cent.

While 32 per cent students attended school in Charkhi Dadri, 31 per cent returned to their classes in Bhiwani and Fatehabad. In other districts, the attendance varied between 21 and 29 per cent.

“The government has asked all schools to follow the Covid protocol such as maintaining social distancing and making masks mandatory in classes. The attendance of students in the headquarters is being monitored as well,” the minister said.

The entire teaching staff remains present in schools, while class timings for students have been reduced to three hours.

Additional Secretary (School Education) Mahavir Singh said, “Students of senior class are already attending classes. The government is yet to take a call on resuming classes for students from Class I to VIII.”

Private schools to reopen soon

The state government re-opened government schools to gauge the response of the parents and the public. Over the course of the last week, the number of students increased gradually. This is an encouraging sign. Seeing the response, the government has decided to reopen private schools and colleges as well. Wait for another week.

Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Education Minister