31 lakh junior class students attend open-air learning sessions in Bengal

Kolkata, February 7

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Altogether 31 lakh students from classes I to VII turned up at 75,000 venues across West Bengal on the first day of the open-air learning session on Monday, an official said.

In the project named ‘Paray Shikshalay’ (education centre at your locality), the sessions were held either on open ground in a locality which can be easily communicable for students or one adjacent to a school having a large number of pupils.

In Kolkata alone, 21,000 students attended open-air classes at 531 venues maintaining COVID protocols, a school education department official said.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim visited a ‘Paray Shikshalay’ centre at the Chetla Agrani Durga puja ground.

Students from eight schools in ward number 82 took part in open-air classes at that venue.

As the state government declared a half-day holiday to mourn the death of Lata Mangeshkar, the open-air sessions were held only in the first half – from 10.30 am to 1 pm, the official said.

In urban areas, local councillors helped set up infrastructure for ‘Paray Shikshalay’, while panchayat representatives came to support it in rural areas.

Initially, the project was meant for primary school students (1 to 5) when it was announced on January 24. However, pupils of classes VI and VII were included later as physical classes did not reopen for them.

Schools in West Bengal reopened for classes VIII to XII from February 3.