• 45 – 50 percent attendance reported in a few Schools in Mysuru   
• Online classes too continue

Mysore/Mysuru: After a gap of about six months, physical classes for students of 6th, 7th and 8th standards began at various Schools in city and district today.

Schools for the three standards had begun from Feb.22 after the Government gave its nod, but was closed again following the second wave of the deadly pandemic and only online classes were being held.

But today, students entered their respective Schools with enthusiasm and the School staff screened them for body temperature and checked the consent letter of the parents before allowing them inside their classrooms. 

Being the first day today, parents were seen dropping their children to Schools and the children were being welcomed by the teachers and School staff. Students too were seen greeting their teachers with folded hands on entering their classes.

While classes for 6th and 7th standards will be held from 10 am to 1 pm, classes for 8th standard students will be held from 1.30 pm to 4 pm. It will be five days a week classes for the students of all three standards.

Meanwhile, DDPI Ramachandraraje Urs said that Schools have opened for students of 6th, 7th and 8th standards from today and added that all classrooms have been disinfected. Schools have also been directed to maintain cleanliness and take all necessary measures for ensuring the safety of children, he said.

He further said that all Block Education Officers (BEOs) are visiting Schools in their respective jurisdiction to make sure that all COVID guidelines issued by the Government are being followed. 

A few Schools have reported 45-50 percent attendance on the first day today but as a few parents are still hesitant to send their children to Schools, online classes are still continuing. Hot drinking water facility is provided at Schools and attendance is not mandatory as per Government rules.

Health screening once a week

Ramachandraraje Urs said that precautions are being taken to prevent health issues among the students and health check up for students will be held once a week by taking the help of doctors and staff of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) nearby to the Schools.

Parents have been instructed to provide food and water to their children and School authorities have been told to make arrangements to provide hot drinking water, he added.

It may be recalled that physical classes for 9th, 10th, 11th (I PU) and 12th (II PU) began on Aug. 23 across the State and district. Students are now regularly attending physical classes without any fear and are mandatorily following COVID guidelines such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing, he said.