Bihar: Most schools witness moderate attendance

PATNA: The students of classes I to VIII returned to their schools with mixed feelings on Monday. They attended their first physical classes of the 2021-2022 session with 50% capacity and Covid safety protocols in place.
Most school principals told this reporter that they witnessed moderate attendance in the primary classes. Marie D’Cruz, the vice-principal of St Michael’s High School (SMHS), said, “Quite a few students of classes VI to VIII came to school on Day 1.”
The primary wing of SMHS is likely to resume offline classes from next week.
Seema Singh, the principal of St Karen’s High School, claimed that nearly 30% of the students (VI to VIII) attended offline classes and strictly followed Covid safety norms. They ate food inside their classrooms during the lunch break. “A decision regarding the pupils of classes I to V will be taken after analysing the Covid situation for the next few days,” she added.
Nearly 40% of the students of classes I to V and 60% of classes VI to VIII attended physical classes at DAV Public School-Walmi on Monday. Its principal, M K Das, said, “The entire campus was sanitised before the kids entered the school and after they left.”
Meanwhile, a Class VIII student, Shaurya, shared his experience of returning to school with this newspaper. He said, “I got really jittery when I entered the school, but the nervousness vanished as soon as I saw my friends.”
Another student, Pranjal Singh, heaved a sigh of relief when he saw everyone wearing a mask and sticking to the safety norms on his school campus.