Parents prefer shifting their children to state schools due to financial problems

Hyderabad: Government schools are gearing up to open their gates to students for the physical classes from September 1, after a period of shutdown due to the Coronavirus-linked lockdowns. Many parents are now preferring to shift their children to government schools due to financial constraints.

Students, who were restricted to have their classes online for months, are inching to get back to normal routine after the state government announced reopening of schools for all classes. The schools premises and classrooms are being readied for the classes to resume.

Teaching and non-teaching staff have started coming to schools from Thursday. Some schools are busy with new admissions while some government school staff are still in slumber, not showing any interest to get more students or to help with the efforts at reopening of the schools.

At the primary government school at Musheerabad that has English, Urdu and Telugu mediums, the staff was present on Thursday as per the instructions to get things set. Headmaster Himayath Ali Jaber said, “We have 257 boys and girls now. Before the pandemic, we had a strength of over 400. Once the school starts the normal classes, we hope to get more students.”

The Mahboobia Government Girls High School, Gunfoundry, with a staff of 18, is excited to welcome the students back to its fold. It has classes for Standards VI to X. With a strength of 401 students, the staff is proactive and got 102 more students joining it. Most of these were private school students.

Principal Muppidi Uma said, “Out staff is doing their best to get more students for admissions. The classes were totally cleaned and we are expecting another 100 admissions by the time the school starts classes. At this adolescent stage, the students are facing psychological stress, remaining at their homes. The government decision to reopen schools will give them great relief.”
The Government High School at Musheerabad is doubling as a vaccination centre since May as advised by the GHMC. Now, the school administration has asked the GHMC to vacate the premises as the normal classes are starting.

Head master Narendra Yadav said, “The school has a staff of 26 and 26 classrooms. There are 536 boys and girls as students. A lot of admissions are taking place now. Students from private schools are coming in as many parents are not able to pay the high fees there. Some 125 enquiries have come in this period for new admissions.”

NGO, ‘Plan India’ has distributed free bags and books for the students at the school. Usha Rani, a volunteer, said, “Students are showing a lot of enthusiasm as they are getting back to school.”

The Government Model High School, Aliya, which is situated at the same compound of the DEO office in Hyderabad, is surrounded by many bastis and colonies. The staff there is in slumber, not taking any effort to enroll new students to the school that has a strength of only 107 students. It has a staff of 13, but there was no new admission so far. Its principal Sunanda said, “That’s fine, once the school starts, more students will join.”

Gajula Sridhar, deputy education officer of Hyderabad, said, “The staff in all the schools were asked to report for work from today. Most of the schools’ premises have begun getting cleaned. The GHMC is taking care of the sanitization of the schools. We will adhere to all the safety measures of Covid as students start attending the classes.”