Private schools in Guwahati city struggle for attendance due to COVID pandemic

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Three weeks after reopening, the private schools across the city are still struggling to get back enough students from Classes-IX to XII. Parents continue to feel unsafe to send their wards for physical classes due to the current pandemic.

Most of the private schools in Guwahati have recorded 30 to 40 per cent attendance of students between November 1 and 21. The private schools situated in other towns, urban and rural areas in the State have recorded more than 60 per cent attendance.

The private schools across the State were reopened on November 1 after seven months hiatus due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown.

A senior teacher at a leading English private school here told this reporter that more awareness and confidence-building measures are required between the private school managements and parents. He also said that the students could be initially called for at least two to three days and engaged in laboratory work.

"Online classes are fine but they cannot be an alternative to the physical classroom environment. We are really concerned about the students in Class-XII who would be facing the qualifying examinations to get into colleges," said the teacher.

The Principal of a private school stated that the response of parents so far has not been encouraging. "Majority of the parents feel that it is not safe to send their children to physical classrooms. We have made all necessary arrangements as per the COVID-preventive protocols; and the school has adequate arrangement for sanitisers, hand wash, masks and also ready with thermal scanners and oximeters at all entry points," he added.

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