Tirupattur DC urges teachers to ensure kids who dropped out during pandemic have returned

TIRUPATTUR: Tirupattur District Collector Amar Kushwaha on Thursday urged teachers and the school education department officials to ensure that every child above five years of age is admitted to schools. “Due to the pandemic, students have been dropping out of schools. Such schools should be identified and efforts should be taken to bring the children back,” he said.

The Collector was speaking to teachers and headmasters after flagging off a rally organised by the department to spread awareness about government school admissions for 2022-23.

“At present, we are taking a list of students who missed Class 10 and 12 public exams. We’re speaking with the parents and persuading them to make their children attend the supplementary exams in July,” Chief Education Officer (CEO) Ayyanan told TNIE. He added that after the reopening, a list of students who didn’t attend classes for more than fifteen days will be made and officials will follow their absentee records to check whether they would drop out. “A student absent for a week cannot be counted as a dropout as they may be sick, or may have gone on a vacation. While we have a list of students who dropped out in the last two years as schools shut during the pandemic, we cannot rely on the numbers for the current academic year,” he added.

The Collector directed the headmasters to make sure that kitchens and toilets are maintained clean in schools. He noted that the list of schools that needed to be whitewashed before reopening should be handed over to the Tirupattur CEO.

The rally started at Meenakshi Government Girls Higher Secondary School, passed through the Tirupattur municipality and Collector office, and ended at the same school. Around 200 teachers participated in the event.