Amritsar Schools, edu institutions reopen after a fortnight to full capacity

Schools and educational institutions reopened after a fortnight-long closure in the district due to floods. Private and government schools in Amritsar city opened to full capacity, with students from primary to senior classes returning to classrooms. Among government schools, the city area saw good attendance while those in rural belt in Attari, Khasa, Jandiala Guru and other places reported average attendance.

Teachers arrived early at most government schools today. At Government Primary School, Khasa, and in Attari, teachers and support staff were seen actively preparing for the reopening. While some of the classrooms were cleaned and made ready, several students were made to sit in the open ground till the leakage and seepage issues subside.

Teachers ensured that classrooms were clean and dry, while helpers have been engaged to ensure that weeds and insecticides are sprayed to prevent any outgrowth and insect bites. The Schools of Eminence in Amritsar opened to full capacity. While buildings of the SoEs did not incur many issues, the other senior secondary and elementary schools in the district all reported water seepage issues.

Ashwani Awasthi, a teacher from Government Senior Secondary School, Bhagtanwala, said that most school buildings in city areas have seepage and leakage issues as they are old. “The attendance was fair today and students returned to classes with enthusiasm. We are keeping a track of our classrooms that require attention and have seepage issues.”

The school management committees are being joined by the local community and villagers in ensuring that the schools get fit to operate soon in the rural belt. Tasks such as levelling the entrance pathway, which had been submerged in rainwater and weeding are being done to ensure school safety.

Meanwhile, District Education Officer Rajesh Sharma said that schools and colleges in Ajnala-I, Ajnala-II and Chogawan-2 block will remain closed till September 12. “We held a meeting of all school heads from block Ajnala and Chogawan, where damage to school and educational buildings is reportedly high due to floods. It was decided that 65 schools, colleges and other private educational institutions in these blocks will remain closed till September 12 while the others will reopen from tomorrow,” he said.

Around 61 schools in Gurdaspur and 29 in Pathankot will remain closed till September 12 as well. The flood forced around 20,000 government schools in Punjab to shut for several days.