Balloons, flowers, sanitisers and happy faces greeted class 10 and 12 students to school in the national capital on Monday, as they returned to campuses after more than 10 months.
Students who were excited to be able to attend the first offline class of the academic session wore masks and queued up outside schools to preserve social distance.
Schools reopened on Monday after over 10 months of being closed due to a coronavirus pandemic. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was an emotional time to see children back in school.
लम्बे वक्त के बाद दिल्ली के स्कूलों में बच्चों को फिर से पढ़ते देखना, मेरे लिए बेहद भावनात्मक क्षण हैं। बहुत मुश्किल वक्त को पीछे छोड़ आज फिर से स्कूल खुले हैं। उम्मीद है कि जल्द ही सबकुछ सामान्य होगा और सभी बच्चे स्कूल आकर अपने टीचर्स एवं दोस्तों से मिलेंगे। https://t.co/jEc1tA4oGS
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 18, 2021
“Seeing kids back in school after a long time is an emotional moment for me. Schools have reopened today after leaving behind a very difficult time. We are hopeful that soon, everything will be normal and all students will be able to come to schools and meet their teachers and friends,” he said.
Pragati Diwan, an excited 12-year-old student, said, “it was optional to come but I was sure I have to. It is the last year of my school life and I haven’t come to school even one day,” said Pragati Diwan, an excited 12-year-old student.
For another student at the Geeta Bal Bharti School, the feeling was close to that of attending the first day of school.
“It does not feel like I am coming to school after ten months, it feels like I have come to school for the first time. I am looking forward to the preparations for board exams here,” she said.
Prince, a student at the Delhi Government School, said, “The online classes were a great help for theoretical subjects but the practical subjects were a challenge. I am glad to be back at school so the practical concepts will be easily brushed up before the board exams”
The school put up “welcome back” posters in the hallways where the teachers stood with the sanitisers and checked the temperature of each student before letting them in.
Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Mandawali adorned the premises with balloons and the teachers showered flower petals to the students and welcomed them.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also visited a school in the Chirag Enclave on Monday to assess the school’s readiness to accept students in classes 10 and 12.
“Felt really good to meet children in schools after a long time. They are still adjusting to being back in school with safety norms but are extremely happy to meet their friends. The teachers are also overjoyed to meet students, saying it has filled an empty space in their life,” Sisodia said.
Calling students in different slots, shorter school hours, regular sanitation and phased entry and exit are among the plans of the various schools in the national capital to welcome students in classes 10 and 12 for the first time in the academic session on Monday.
Schools are re-opening in Delhi after 10 months, having been closed last year to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, and have been advised by the Education Directorate (DoE) to follow all the COVID-19 guidelines when classroom studies resume.
The Delhi Government has allowed all schools outside of the COVID-19 containment zone to be reopened for classes 10 and 12 on 18 January in view of the board examinations. However, it has been made clear that physical attendance is not compulsory and that students can attend school only with the permission of their parents.
Allowing 15 students at a time in the classroom to put hand-washing consoles and sanitisers in the corridors, volunteers to ensure that social distances are maintained, temperature checks and medical facilities on standby if any student is not feeling well, are among the numerous measures planned by the schools.
Schools are now carrying out plans to ensure that students who chose not to go to campus do not miss anything.
The Union Ministry of Education has already declared that the examinations for Classes 10 and 12 will take place from May 4 to June 10, even though the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has yet to release the examination date.
More than 3 lakh students enrolled in the Delhi Area for the CBSE Class 10 exam, while more than 2,5 lakh candidates registered for the Class 12 exam. The Delhi Government has recommended that schools be conducting pre-board exams for Class 12 from March 20 to April 15 and Class 10 pre-board exams from April 1 to April 15.
