Schools and colleges reopen, record 80 percent attendance

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that except for the schools in Kanniyakumari, education institutions in the rest of the State were opened on Monday and recorded about 80 percent attendance.

“Arrangements were made to provide noon meals for students of government and aided schools. The government school students who lost their text and notebooks in the floods will get both of them after verification,” the official said.

In view of the northeast monsoon that intensified in the recent days, the authorities would immediately carry out an immunization drive against various waterborne diseases, he said.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the Higher Education Department added that the induction program for first-year Under Graduate (UG) engineering, arts, science, and vocational students, which was suspended due to incessant rain, has started from Monday.

“Classes for the first-year students of polytechnic colleges have also begun, and 90 percent attendance was reported. The notification for semester exams will also be issued shortly,” he said. The official added that processes like BArch admissions, hostel admissions, and certificate verification for polytechnic students have restarted.

“The immunization drive against COVID-19, especially for the college students, will also be organized by the institutions as per requirement. We have also started distribution of free bus pass and other students’ related work from Monday,” said the official.

According to him, the recruitment of professors and other teaching staff in government colleges would resume shortly.

The officials added that schools and colleges strictly followed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs), including maintaining social distancing and wearing facemasks, as instructed by the Health Department to prevent the formation of any COVID cluster due to reopening of classes.