Attendance at Telangana schools low

Hyderabad: With about a week to go for the summer vacation in schools affiliated to the state board, many classes are running about half-full. For the first time this year, these schools adopted the CBSE pattern and started classes for the next academic year that usually begins in June. Text books were supplied in time before the classes commenced on March 21.

Students and parents are yet to get used to the new system. The soaring temperatures are not helping the situation either. Attendance is very low in pre-primary and primary sections; in upper primary and high sections students were found to be irregular in attending classes.

Mr C. Ramachander of the Telangana Recognised Schools Association stated that students were in a holiday mood and were not showing interest in the lessons and attendance was not even 50 per cent in most classes. Some children had left for their native places.

Ms Neeta Ratnakar, principal of a missionary school, said it would take time for children and parents to get used to the new academic calender.“Earlier summer vacation used to start after final exams in March-April. Now children have been promoted to the next class and are being made to attend classes for one month, before holidays are declared. We can hope a change from next year,” she said.