News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan schools reopening

  • Low turnout as schools in Rajasthan reopen for classes 9 to 12 after 10 months

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Schools in Rajasthan opened for classes 9 to 12 on Monday, 10 months after they were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with only a handful of students returning to classes.

    Students were given a warm welcome at schools, which were sanitised on Sunday, and teachers ensured they wore masks and maintained social distancing.

    Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra along with various officers visited schools in Sikar and Jaipur to check compliance of government guidelines.

    The state government has allowed schools to reopen with 50 per cent occupancy permitted in each classroom and students attending classes with the consent of their parents.

    “The turnout of students was quite low today, particularly in classes 10 and 12. Hopefully, it will increase over the next few days. Parents are in a wait-and-watch mode before allowing their wards to attend regular classes,” said Sanjay Parashar, the spokesperson of Subodh Public School here.

    “Fifty per cent strength is allowed at a time in a class and all arrangements have been made to ensure compliance of social distancing, sanitisation, etc. Students were allowed to return only after getting written consent from their parents,” he said.

    Parashar said though schools have opened, online classes are also being held regularly which is another reason why not many students turned up.

    Besides, the syllabus of classes 10 and 12 has already been completed and pre-board exams are going to be held in the next few days, he said.

    “Since the syllabus has been completed, many students of classes 10 and 12 came to clear their doubts. The turnout of students of classes 9 and 11 was higher as compared to those of classes 10 and 12,” he added.

    B L Sharma, principal of Yash Public School in Sodala area here, said nearly 30 per cent turnout was recorded on the first day.

    Other schools also recorded a similar turnout.

    The manager of another school here said, “The school has been sanitised and all other arrangements made as per the government guidelines but it will take a few more days for the situation to normalise.”

    Speaking to reporters here, Dostara said two teachers of a government school in Sikar were put under awaiting posting orders (APO) after they were found violating the government guidelines.

    The minister said when he reached the school in Bawdi, the two teachers were seen sitting on chairs and basking in the sun instead of taking classes.

    They did not even pay attention to his arrival.

    “They violated social distancing norms and were without masks so they were put under APO status,” Dostara said.

    “When we went to the principal’s room, it was surprising to see that there was a permanent arrangement for making tea. It was 11.30 am and tea was being prepared for 20-30 people. A show-cause notice was issued to the principal,” he said.

    Coaching institutes across the state also opened on Monday.

    The Rajasthan government had on January 5 announced the decision to open schools for classes 9 to 12 and coaching institutes, which were closed on March 21 last year to check the spread of COVID-19.

    According to a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the government, wearing face masks, social distancing, sanitisation and thermal scanning, etc. must be ensured in all schools.

    Students of coaching institutes coming from other states will have to get themselves tested for COVID-19 a day before joining classes, according to the SOP.

    All coaching institutes will have to send details of their students to the nodal officer appointed by the district collector, the SOP stated.

  • Rajasthan to reopen schools, colleges and coaching centres, parents apprehensive

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Schools, colleges, universities and coaching centres across Rajasthan will reopen from January 18. While schools will run classes only for IX to XII standard students, in colleges and universities students of final-year degree courses alone will be allowed to attend classes on the campus.

    With the COVID-19 recovery rate touching 96.31% in the state and some districts reporting zero cases, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the decision after a review meeting on the pandemic and claimed that “educational institutions could start functioning in the improved situation which is now far better than the scenario of about a month ago.”

    Certain mandatory restrictions will be in place. Classrooms in schools and colleges will permit the presence of 50% of students on each day on an alternating basis. However, in view of the upcoming plan for COVID-19 vaccinations, medical colleges, dental colleges, nursing colleges and paramedical colleges in the state will reopen from January 11, earlier than other institutions.

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    The decision to reopen educational institutions after a gap of over nine months has evoked mixed reactions. Most parents say they are ready to settle for online education for their children this academic session as they don’t want to expose their families to the risk of Covid infection. But school authorities and teachers believe that some students should return although in small numbers.

    CK Punnose a senior teacher associated with St. Xavier School in Jaipur was among those who appreciated the decision. He said, “Three-four states have already reopened schools and it’s time to get back to some normalcy. As the Covid situation now seems under control, we have to go to the normal state. Most students don’t take online education very seriously and even copy the text and answer in online exams. Also, many parents don’t want to pay the 70 percent fees as decided by the government while we remain in online mode. But how can schools run without parents paying the fees.”

    Teachers in the state will also be given special training by the Health Department to ensure they follow COVID-19 protocols, according to officials. But most parents remain anxious about their children’s safety as the crisis still persists.

    A parent in Jaipur, Rateesh Sareen, echoed the worries of most parents.

    Sareen remarked, “There is no point in rushing. I will not send my children to school in this session. We have had two sessions with online classes and we don’t want any compromise with the safety of our children. It seems that this move is to address the issue of non-payment of fees by parents. We need to be more watchful. While cases may be decreasing in Rajasthan, we should learn from the other countries like the UK which lifted stringent measures but were hit severely by the second wave which has been devastating them and still continues to till date.”

    At Kota, the ‘Coaching Capital of India’ for entrance exams of all medical and engineering colleges, the decision to reopen educational institutions was widely welcomed. As they get set to reopen after a gap of over nine months, most coaching centers are delighted that they will soon see the thousands of students who annually train here for admissions to IIT, AIEEE and PMT exams.

    The Director of one of the leading Coaching Centres, Allen Career Institute, Naveen Maheshwari welcomed the government’s move. He remarked, “The health and safety of our students has always been a top priority for us. We will enforce all COVID-19 protocols prescribed by the government. I am confident that with the trust of parents and our efforts, the dreams of students who come to Kota will once again be fulfilled.”