Ludhiana schools see low student turnout amid rains

Students during a class in a Ludhiana school.

Rainfall in the district has resulted in a decrease in the attendance of students on the very first day of the schools after the summer break. This year, in the wake of rising temperatures, the state government initially changed the timings of the schools and then announced holidays from May 21 to June 30.

On one hand, students were excited to be back in the classes while on the other, weather did not allow many of them to attend the first day after their vacations. School heads of double shift schools informed that attendance of first shift was not affected, but with the school timings for the second shift and rainfall occurring at almost the same time, reduced the attendance by upto 50%.

Principal of PAU School Balwinder Kaur informed that the attendance for the second shift was nearly 50% of the students enrolled. “We had already instructed our students a few days prior that it is mandatory for them to attend the first day after the school reopens, which is why the attendance in the first shift was more than expected but the second shift students could not make it as many of them come from far away places on bicycles,” she mentioned.

A faculty member of Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Basti Jodhewal, said the attendance on the first day of the school was less than 40%. “One of the major reasons for the students’ absence is that the road outside our school gets flooded with stagnant rainwater and students who are out of town, avoid coming back to the city as weather forecast is published on daily basis and even if there are less chances of rainfall, they skip a few days,” a teacher added.

Principal of GSSS, Cemetery Road, Charanjeet Kaur Ahuja said the turnout during the second shift was nearly 49%. “We made calls to students, asking them to not miss the first day, but still the number did not improve much,” she said.

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com