Take up awareness drives among students, parents to increase attendance: School Edu Dept

Kolkata: The state School Education Department has asked the school District Inspectors (DIs) of a number of districts to take up awareness campaigns among students and guardians so that attendance can go up. The turnout of students has been less in a number of districts as per the expectations of the department.

On a particular day this week, it has been observed that in the West Midnapore district, the percentage of attendance was around 30 percent while in Bankura and West Burdwan, it was 33 and 34 percent respectively.

"The headmasters have been asked to make arrangements for taking up awareness through miking and even do door-to-door campaign, if needed, to increase attendance in schools," a source in the Education department said.

It has been found in a very recent report from the district level that on a particular day nearly 16 districts had recorded less than 50 percent attendance that includes Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Jhargram, West Midnapore, Hooghly, West Burdwan, North 24-Parganas, Nadia etc.

The attendance in Kolkata, however, has been the highest with nearly 80 percent of students attending classes followed by Darjeeling, Kalimpong and South 24-Parganas where average attendance has been more than 70 percent.

Classes IX, X, XI and XII have opened up from November 16 after a gap of 20 months.

Initially, schools were being held on a regular basis (from Monday to Saturday) in two shifts. Classes for students of classes IX and XI were being held from 10 am to 3.30 pm while that of classes X and XII were held from 11 am to 4.30 pm.

With effect from November 22, revised school timings were announced with fixed timing of 10.50 am to 4.30 pm. Classes X and XII are being held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while classes IX and XI are being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No classes will be held on Saturdays.

Saugata Basu, general secretary of West Bengal Government School Teachers Association, said after the announcement of revised timings, the attendance at the 39 odd government schools has started picking up.