Rain mars school reopening after month-long summer break

Incessant rains since morning dampened the spirits of teachers and students in many government schools who had geared up for “Aao School Chaliye” – a programme with many activities to welcome the students after a month-long summer break. While the government schools had prepared well to welcome and motivate the students, just about 40-50 per cent of attendance was witnessed in the schools, which opened today after the summer break.

Talking to The Tribune, Principal, Government Senior Secondary Smart School, PAU, Pradeep Kumar said that about 50 per cent students turned up today after the summer break. “It has been raining since 6:45 am and due to showers, just about 50 per cent of the students came to school today. We had arranged for a lecture by an expert from Jalandhar on “drug de-addiction” which had to be cancelled in the morning due to the rains. We had also prepared a small video to welcome and motivate the students, which we are running in the Whatsapp groups,” said the Principal.

The schools had decorated well the premises to welcome the students so that they take keen interest in activities and studies but the continuous rain played a spoilsport. “We have got a thin attendance of students and only about 50 per cent students turned up today after the summer break. We had arranged many activities, which we are conducting with those present, but had it been full attendance, things would have been more interesting,” said Charanjit Kaur, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road here.

It may be mentioned here that the Education Department had issued directions that to welcome the students on the first day after the summer break, an environment of “celebration” should be created, like decorating the school premises, interaction with the students on what they did during the break, sports activities, story-telling, comedy, play etc.

The teachers and principals maintained that the aim was to welcome the students so that they do not feel burdened all of a sudden and get to mingle in the environment in an affectionate and interesting manner.

Jyotsana, a student at Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, said that after the summer break, usually children are reluctant to come to school again. “But it was a relaxing day in the school and we interacted on how we had spent the entire month, what all we did etc. Now in a day or two, we will adapt to the atmosphere of studies again,” she added.

Ludhiana