Schools in Nagaland begin offline classes; student enrollment down

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 15 (EMN): Schools in Nagaland on Tuesday began offline classes following the state government’s permission for in-person teaching and learning for classes 1 to 8 with up to 50% attendance.

While students and teachers alike were excited about the reopening of schools, all is not well with the enrollment of students, particularly in lower classes in the state capital.

“In the last two years, parents and guardians from rural areas started taking their pupils’ transfer certificates (TC) and went back to their village,” Zhopota Rhakho, administrator at Oking Christian School, Kohima, told Eastern Mirror.

He was of the opinion that it was “online classes” that had affected their learning experience even as teachers are struggling to identify children’s handwriting and reading skills.

‘Most parents requesting for TC are from rural areas and daily wage earners. They are not very hopeful of the overall pandemic situation. There is apprehension that lockdown would still happen again despite re-opening of schools today. Thus, they wanted their children to be with them in the village,’ he added.

Request for TC happens mostly in Class 6 and below, it was informed.

“To look after kids in these classes, I think they are finding it difficult,” said the administrator, adding that the school had issued about 40 TCs to students this year.

Pandemic may have affected students’ enrolment but he expressed hope that things will go smoothly this year.

Cunu, a resident of Kohima, said that she got her three-year-old daughter admitted to a private school in the village. She was planning to admit her daughter to a nursery school in Kohima but changed her mind after observing the current pandemic situation.

She also said that online classes for pre-school would not be that effective.

Another resident of Kohima, who didn’t wish to be named, said that her son, who joined pre-school last year, ‘could not learn anything as classes were conducted online’. 

She went on to add that her son could neither recognise his teachers nor classmates in the absence of offline learning.

On parents’ reaction towards re-opening of schools, Administrator Rhakho said that parents were “excited” to send their children to school.

‘As directed by the state authority, the institution has sent parents consent letters. Further, most of the faculty members have taken vaccination including a second dose. Those without vaccination are producing Covid negative reports once every 15 days. A good number of students, 15 to 18 years old, are also bringing vaccination reports,’ it was informed.

‘To ensure safety of children, all SOPs are followed. Thermal scanning, hand sanitiser, and handwashing facilities are provided in school. Classrooms are sanitised once the classes were over. Odd classes come on odd days while even classes come on even days,’ Rhakho informed.

Meanwhile, students were happy to be back in school.

Nguvotsono Vakha , a 12-year-old studying at Oking Christian School in Kohima, said that “it feels very good to be back (to school) after a very long time”.

To her, offline classes are better because she gets to learn lessons better.

Zizilu Medeo and Khrieketho Chuzho, both studying in Class 7 at Oking Christian School in Kohima, were also elated to wear school uniform after a long gap.

They added that their parents were supportive of the offline classes.