Shimla: Amid COVID pandemic the turnout of the students at most of the schools on day one of opening received tepid response within Shimla city.
The schools opened after seven months since the lock down was imposed in the month of March.
Many schools in Shimla witnessed a low turnout, after the state government had lifted restrictions and allowed resuming of classes from standard ninth to twelfth.
The state government had on 28 November in the cabinet meeting given nod to reopen schools for students of Class IX to XII and Colleges from 2 November, in line with the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
However, the consent of parents was mandatory for the students wanting to attend classes and the attendance was also not mandatory. The online classes were to continue.
Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) Girls, Portmore, Shimla with a strength of 1225 students from 9th to 12th standard witnessed only 25 students turning up to school.
Similarly, Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Chotta Shimla (Kasumpati) had only around 7 students out of the strength of 500 students, while the GSSS (Girls), Lakkar Bazaar had only 5 students attending class out of the 300 students.
The parents still seemed to be skeptical in sending their wards to the schools. However, the school staff have maintained that they were following the Standard Operating Protocol and are expecting the strength to increase in the near future.
