Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 26: With schools across Karnataka set to reopen in the coming days after the summer vacation, the Education Department has issued new guidelines for all government, aided and unaided primary and high schools in the state. As the countdown for the reopening of schools begins, students are preparing to return to classrooms, while the department has made digital attendance mandatory for both students and teachers and directed schools to implement bilingual teaching methods.

The department has placed special emphasis on safety measures. Schools have been instructed to prioritise the safety of school buildings, toilets and kitchen rooms. If any structure is found to be dilapidated, authorities have been directed to immediately repair or remove them in coordination with local bodies. Measures have also been ordered to ensure the safety of school buildings before the onset of the monsoon season.

The guidelines further stress that no child between the ages of 6 and 14 should remain out of school. The department has also directed schools that have obtained prior approval for bilingual education to implement bilingual teaching methods, including Urdu-English bilingual medium, from this academic year itself.

The Education Department has announced important dates and preparatory measures for the reopening process. May 28 has been fixed as the last date to complete full cleaning of schools, drinking water arrangements and safety inspections. On May 29, headmasters and assistant teachers must compulsorily attend school and complete pre-opening preparations. School reopening celebrations and the official admission process will begin on June 1, while the enrolment drive will conclude on June 30.

Meanwhile, innovative efforts are being made in several places to increase admissions to government schools. In one such initiative, a government school headmaster is depositing a fixed deposit of Rs 1,000 in the name of every child enrolling in the school. The scheme has been introduced by S M Patil, headmaster of the Government Higher Primary School at Kelur village in Mundargi taluk, who also serves as a Cluster Resource Person (CRP).