BHUBANESWAR/JAIPUR/KOTA/PATNA: After a gap of more than 10 months, students across Odisha, Rajasthan, and Bihar attended school on Monday, following strict Covid-19 guidelines. While students of Classes IX and XI returned to schools in Odisha, students of Classes VI to VIII came back to schools in Rajasthan and Bihar, with students of the higher classes having joined school earlier in these two states.
Schools in Bihar reported over 70% attendance. Schools in Rajasthan had lower turnout of students, as most parents were reluctant to send their children out, while some schools did not open at all as attendance was sparse.
Odisha had a median attendance in its schools, with teachers saying that more students would flock back in due course. Higher secondary schools in the state introduced staggered timings for physical classes so as to avoid crowding. “Meeting friends was a major attraction to return to school after so many months,” Pratima Sahu, a Class IX student of Unit-IV Girls’ High School in Odisha, said.
Three girl students — two in Jhalrapatan and one in Jhalawar city — and a teacher of a government school in Bhawanimandi, Rajasthan, were found to be Covid-19 positive on Sunday. A medical team led by CMHO visited the two schools and collected samples of the contacts and their family members on Monday.
All the schools in Patna, claimed strict adherence to the Covid protocols. Sister M Serena AC, principal of Carmel High School, said attendance was more than what they expected for the first day.