'Delighted to be back', say students in Tamil Nadu as schools reopen

Most schools find half the students back as physical teaching resumes for Classes 9 to 12

Narayanan Veerasimhan, a 16-year-old Class XI student of SRM Nightingale Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai’s Mambalam area, cannot conceal his happiness. After being stuck at home for months and struggling with online classes, he’s overjoyed to be back in school, “with friends and learning in a classroom atmosphere, which is irreplaceable,” he says.

After opening briefly for Classes 9 to 12, schools in Tamil Nadu had shut again on March 22, and students were back to online classes. Veerasimhan would like to forget that period now.

On Wednesday, when schools re-opened for Classes 9 to 12 in states like Delhi, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Ladakh, the smiles of the students hidden by their masks were evident in their twinkling eyes.

“Students desperately wanted to be out of home. We are seeing an attendance of around 63 per cent,” says T Amalraj, principal of SRM School, adding, “They are allowed only with a consent letter from their parents.” The school has a nurse on standby and is also arranging counselling sessions for students who might need them.

At the school gates, the students first had to get their temperature checked before being ushered into the premises. Careful not to compromise on social distancing standards, schools are allowing only 20 students in a classroom at a time. Many have also set alternate dates for Classes 9-10 and 11-12.

Chettinad Vidyashram, one of the city’s largest schools near Rajah Annamalaipuram, is sticking with a hybrid model, providing both online and offline classes. When Business Standard met her, principal Amudha Lakshmi S was stationed at the gate to welcome each student after thermal scanning. “We conducted a Google survey before starting classes and gave the option of online and offline modes. While 55 per cent of the students opted for the online model, the rest chose to come to school,” she says, adding, “We have requested parents to drop the kids since we don’t want them to risk using public transport until they get vaccinated.” The school has appointed two nurses and two doctors for emergencies.

Lakshmi adds that more than students, parents were worried about the reopening. V Madhavan, father of a Class 9 student at the Pupil Saveetha Eco School near Poonamallee, agrees. “What worries us most are reports that the third wave is going to affect kids more,” he says. “We don’t know the immunity level of each child. People are now considering it (school reopening) as a social move, but if something goes wrong, it will become an individual’s problem.”

Meanwhile, other schools such as ALM Matriculation HSS at Injambakkam and Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Sholinganallur, too, had around 50 per cent attendance on Day One. They expect the number to go up in a couple of days once parents are confident about the standard operating procedures the schools are following.

The Tamil Nadu government will decide on allowing Classes 1 to 8 to resume at school after September 15. Officials say if the school reopening proves to be a success, the state might allow younger children, too, in the days to come