It’s back to school in Karnataka

Bengaluru, 02 Jan 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: After several months, school and pre-university colleges threw open their gates for students of Classes 10 and 12 on the first day of new year with all Covid-19 safety norms in place. Simultaneously, the Vidyagama programme was restarted for students of Classes 6 and 9. But attendance was below expectations.Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said 16,850 high schools which have 9,27,472 Class 10 students, saw 41 per cent attendance across Karnataka, while the attendance for the Vidyagama scheme was still being tabulated. The 5,492 pre-university colleges under the state board saw 32.56 per cent attendance from a total of 2,41,965 students.

Among the districts, Dakshina Kannada recorded the highest turnout with 62 per cent in attendance. Some schools had exceptional attendance. For instance, Golavada in Sirsi saw 45 out of 52 children attending physical classes. A school in Madhugiri’s Badavanahalli saw 170 out of 180 in attendance. 

In Bengaluru, D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary of Karnataka Associated Managements of English Medium Schools (KAMS),  said three lakh students in attendance is an underestimation as it was based on the data fed in the SATS system. He said, as per information from budget private schools in the state, more than 75 per cent students had attended offline classes.

RuRal schools saw moRe attendance

Mansoor Ali Khan, general secretary, Managements of independent CBSe Schools Association, said most of the CBSe schools are starting on Monday. Jean george, president, Karnataka iCSe Schools’ Association also confirmed that iCSe schools will also open on Monday. in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Mandya, more students from the rural areas attended classes than their urban counterparts. in Mysuru district, the authorities said while the attendance in rural areas was about 60 per cent, in the urban areas, it was only about 45 per cent.

Kumar attributed the poor attendance to new Year’s day and the weekend at its heels. He said a better picture will emerge on Monday when a higher turnout of students is expected with a full week starting afresh. it was an atmosphere of celebration, with schools reopening in a safe environment. in many schools across the state, teachers were visibly overjoyed to see their students return, observed Suresh Kumar. The arriving students were welcomed with rangolis, roses, chocolates, sweets and snacks, besides applause from teachers.

They came with their paraphernalia, including water bottles, but not food, which is disallowed on campuses. Some schools even provided masks to its students, while at others, philanthropists pitched in to meet the needs. Several students carried their own sanitisers and masks. Legislators, present and former cabinet ministers, district administrators and even clergy visited schools in their respective constituencies to encourage students to return.

They included former primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri and Minister for Animal Husbandry Prabhu B Chauhan. Two schools in Udupi -- KPS school in Hebri and government Higher Primary School in Brahmavar -- were ordered to remain closed on Friday and reopen only on January 4 (Monday) after some staff members tested positive. While the SOP suggested 15 students per room, larger spaces allowed for as many as 20 students to be present. SR Umashankar, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary education, refuted accusations of scarcity of rooms in some schools to accommodate the children. “This is what we have been waiting for so long. it’s been over nine months,” said excited children of a government school at Unkal in Hubballi.