Schools reopen, but attendance low due to heat

Hyderabad: Schools may have reopened, but hardly 50% of students have started attending classes amid the scorching heat. As a result, many schools in the city and elsewhere in the state are either conducting classes for half a day or online classes.“In our school, hardly 50% students have started attending classes,” said M Ravinder, a government school teacher in the city. However, he said that the strength of students of class 9 and class 10 is comparatively higher.For their part, parents pointed out that there is no point in sending children to school until the temperatures drop. They said kids have to return from school in the scorching heat.“My son’s school ends at 2.30pm. I don’t want him to suffer because of the high temperatures in the afternoon and decided not to send him for at least another week,” said N Sujatha, whose son is studying in class 7.Members of the Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association (HSPA) said that the state should have waited for at least another 10 days before reopening schools. “It would have done no harm if schools started even after another 10 days. Now, children are suffering in this scorching heat,” said Venkat Sainath K, joint secretary, HSPA.The situation in districts is much worse as not even 10% to 15% of students are coming to schools yet. “We have opened the schools, but hardly any students are coming to schools as it is too hot. Even we are not forcing them. The strength of students coming to schools in rural areas is not even 10% and will not improve until it starts to rain,” said Shekhar Rao Y, president, Telangana Recognised School Managements Association, adding that many schools have not yet reopened hostels.