There is no need to worry about the 75% attendance norm for students to get the benefits of the Amma Vodi as the annual average attendance in government schools remains above 82% in Chittoor district, and the likelihood of any student losing the assistance is quite remote. This is the observation of several senior headmasters, parents and education department officials.
Big fears among the beneficiaries are the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 and the purported risk the Omicron variant poses to students, the core of the yet-to-be-vaccinated group. It is further argued that some students, who support their families in the unorganised sector, are at risk of losing the benefit. Other reasons are remoteness to school, absence due to ill-health, and lack of access to schools during calamitous conditions like the recent floods.
A ZP high school headmaster in Chittoor mandal, on condition of anonymity, says that during the last several years, the practice of giving attendance to absentees has been in vogue for fear of backlash from parents, who tend to involve politicians in the issue. “As an unwritten rule, we do mark ‘present’ to even the absentees, based on information, for the reasons which mostly are ill-health of the students or their parents. We only worry about marking a tick to the students who are known for their mischief in and out of school,” he explains.
“Compared to the previous years, the current mid-day meal, with considerably better nutritious menu, is contributing to the increased arrival of students to the school. Just three to five percent of students prefer to skip the afternoon sessions,” says another headmaster who is going to retire next June, in Nagari Assembly constituency.
District Educational Officer Sriram Purushottam tells The Hindu that the purpose of Amma Vodi is to provide quality education to students and improve their attendance in schools. “Already a majority of parents have realised that it would be unethical to claim the scheme benefits without having a reasonable percentage of attendance,” he says.
“If any student fails to attend due to ill-health, inclement weather or some other valid reasons, they will be considered for full attendance after verification,” the official says.
