Rise in students’ attendance at govt schools in Mohali district

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 30

Government schools in the Mohali district are seeing steady increase in students’ attendance. Around 20 to 25 students are present in every class daily. Meanwhile, teachers continue to urge parents to send their wards to schools while following Covid-19 regulations.

According to information in some schools, the number of students has gone up considerably from five to six on October 19 when schools reopened after the six months lockdown.

Sources said the increase in number of students in classes was due to efforts of teachers and other staff, who were approaching and convincing parents to send their wards to schools.

Meanwhile, schools have made elaborate arrangements for social distancing in classes besides making available sanitisers for students.

Manpreet Mangat, Headmistress, Government High School, Landran, said, “As compared to only five to six students in a class on October 19 now around 20 to 25 pupils attend a class. This number has been increasing gradually as we have been able to convince parents that Covid guidelines of the Education Department are strictly being followed in the school.”

“We are approaching parents to send their wards to school so that they can get proper education, which is possible only through physical attendance. We hope that the number of students in the school will definitely increase in another few days,” she added.

“The school is holding online classes for students, who prefer to stay in comforts of their homes. As class tests have started, the facility to answer questions online within 48 hours of the test has also been provided to students as most of them don’t have mobile phones,” she said.

“The school authorities have also urged ‘Bhaiji” (granthi) of a local gurdwara, who is keen to help students, to provide his mobile phone to them for attending online lessons,” she added.

District Education Officer Himat Singh said attendance of students in all 46 secondary and 63 high schools was increasing steadily. Average overall attendance of students in the district had increased from 13 to 15 per cent in the Mohali district, he added.

Their number would likely go up in the coming weeks as Covid cases were on the decline in the district, he said. Teachers had been authorised to invite students in batches so that they could clear their doubts and attend practical classes, he added.