Jamshedpur, Jan 4: Attendance was a bit less in class 10 while it was near normal in class 12 as elite private schools opened their gates for regular offline classes after a span of nine months on Monday.
Schools strictly abided by the guidelines issued by the Jamshedpur Unaided School Association (an outfit formed by representatives of all private schools heads of Jamshedpur) in the conduct of classes for 10 and 12 laid out in line with state government standard operating procedures for Covid-19 pandemic.
On the first day, the average attendance of class 10 students across the over 60 private schools varied between 50 and 55 per cent while the attendance in 12th class was nearly 90 per cent.
“We are confident that even class 10 students attendance percentage will increase with each passing day after parents get over initial reservations about their children’s health,” said a principal of a Telco-based school preferring anonymity.
Incidentally, Telco-based Little Flower School did not conduct class 10 studies citing that parents did not give consent for conduct of classes.
“Following the government order in December we have decided to allow conduct of classes only for 10 and 12 in abeyance of the norms laid out for Covid-19 with consent of parents after the winter vacation. We hope that students will utilise the classes to prepare well and sort out their queries, if any for the pre-board and board examinations later this year,” said B. Chandrasekhar, a senior functionary of the Kadma-based DBMS English School and a member of the Jamshedpur Unaided School Association.
As per the directive issued to parents and students a few days back, students were made to sit in a group of 15 to 20 in each class. While in some schools only 12 were allowed to sit in each class. Some schools also opted for alternate attendance for students to minimise crowding and ensure abidance of the social distancing norms.
“Only those students were allowed to enter the school premises who came with parents’ consent letter and a pledge to abide by Covid-19 protocols. Most schools have divided students in groups and teachers will have to teach them one by one. Both the ICSE and CBSE affiliated schools have announced separate time-tables for practical and theory classes,’ said another member of the Jamshedpur Unaided School Association and a principal of a Bistupur-based school preferring anonymity.
Students were allowed entry after sanitising their hands and undergoing temperature checking through thermal scanners. Schools have directed for sanitization of all classrooms daily after school is over while practical rooms would have to be sanitized at least four times in a day.
Significantly, all the schools were shut down after the nationwide lockdown was announced in March last year and resorted to online mode of classrooms through smartphones.
While St Mary’s English High School in Bistupur will continue with offline classes for nearly a week and Bistupur-based DAV Public School held a meeting on Monday to decide on starting classes.