Classes 6-8 open to poor turnout

BENGALURU: Attendance and admissions have both been low for the current academic year due to the Covid pandemic, said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Monday.Instructing officials to exempt SSLC students from the minimum attendance rule for this academic year, he said that the decision was taken as the government had left students' attendance to the discretion of parents, and the start of the academic year had been delayed due to the pandemic.

Poor attendance
The first day of school for six to eighth graders saw less than half of all children attending classes after a year of closure on Monday. Schools across the state, except those in Bengaluru city and along the Kerala border, saw an attendance of 42.9 per cent on Monday. Only Class 8 was opened for students in Bengaluru and Kerala border areas, and the capital city saw 46 per cent attendance. 

Attendance among SSLC students touched 50 per cent and Class 9 attendance was 45 per cent in state-run schools.Attendance in CBSE schools was 30-40 per cent for grades six to eight, with many children still opting for online classes. Turnout for grades 10 and 12 touched a 50-60 per cent, said Mansoor Ali Khan, general secretary, Management of Independent CBSE Schools' Association (MICSA).

right to education

Suresh Kumar also instructed officials to provide relief to schools in attendance and admission rules for RTE reimbursement. But his statement drew flak from private schoolls, who said the bigger issue is the unpaid arrears. If the dues are released by the government, it would help schools survive. They said that they are waiting for the government order on reopening of Classes 1-5, which have seen poor admission so far.