NEW DELHI:  While all municipal corporation-run schools in the city reopened on Monday, inspections were carried out in many zones on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and the implementation of COVID-19 protocols. 

Officials in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which has 581 schools in its jurisdiction, said that they have initiated a ‘reading campaign’. Classes are being held in hybrid mode still so as to include even those who could not make it to school for some reason.

“Students were welcomed to decorated classrooms and were greeted with flowers on the first day. Overall attendance was good on the first two days. While North Corporation has over 700 schools, East civic body has 364 primary schools. 

These schools were shut since March 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreak, except for a few days when schools were reopened with 50 per cent capacity last November. Many children in these schools most of who are from modest backgrounds, had dropped out of school initially for not having smartphones or other digital equipment to be able to join virtual classes during the pandemic. 

As per officials, enrollment had come down, as many children had gone back to their native states with their parents in the first lockdown, which saw a massive migrant exodus. “While many had returned and joined school, there were others who could not manage online classes and while there was provision of worksheets for these students to be collected from schools, but due to economic distress, many joined work with their parents,” said a senior civic official, who did not wish to be named. 

EDMC officials said that parents consent is still important for sending their children to school while all Covid protocols are being maintained by the schools to keep students safe.