Jalandhar: Cold weather affects attendance as govt schools reopen after winter break

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, January 1

As the winter break concluded, government schools opened in the district on Monday. The schools witnessed a significant drop in attendance as dense fog and intense cold weather conditions continued to prevail in the region.

At Government Senior Secondary School, Ladowali Road, over 400 students out of nearly 700 opted to skip classes. Significant presence of students was noted in higher classes. Approximately 250 to 280 students were present in these classes.

This trend prevailed across majority of government schools in the district, including the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden. Despite boasting a student strength of 2,700, a reduced turnout was observed with around 800 to 1000 students attending their classes today. Notably, those present were primarily Class XI and XII students with scheduled tests for the day.

Similar situation unfolded in government schools at Malsian, Lohian, and Shahkot, where only 20 to 25 per cent attendance was recorded. Teachers said due to the cold weather, parents were hesitant to send their children to school. Many parents even inquired in the morning if the winter break was extended or not.

Meanwhile, some students and teachers were spotted braving the cold in extra layers of clothing on the first day of the New Year. Kamaljeet Singh, a Class IX student, said his parents were initially reluctant to send him to school due to the foggy weather. Later, they allowed him to attend school as he had a class test.

Expressing concern, Guriqbal Kaur, whose son is a student of the Government School, Basti Bawa Khel, appealed to the government to consider extending the winter break, especially for smaller classes citing the severe cold as a potential health risk for pupils.

She highlighted challenges faced by students commuting on cycles to schools in cold weather conditions. Other parents echoed similar sentiment while urging extension of the winter break, particularly for smaller classes in light of the declining temperature and harsh weather conditions.