District administrations gear up for reopening of schools in Vellore, nearby districts

The district administrations in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur are all set to reopen schools on June 4 (Thursday) with refurbished classrooms.  

Prior to the opening of schools, a week-long exercise of refurbishing entire campuses, especially in government schools in these districts were in full swing with volunteers, including residents and students pitching in.

“Over Head Tanks (OHT) in the school campus were cleaned to provide quality water for students. Trees were also pruned Fresh stocks for noon meals were also kept ready to ensure timely food for students,” said K. Raman, a teacher. 

Many schools were given a facelift, including removal of bushes, erection of steel fences around the campus, replacing old electrical lines and water pipelines with new ones. “Schools in tribal hamlets are given special attention in terms of basic facilities for students and staff. We also ensured that adequate stock of school uniforms and books are available for distribution to students,” said R. Premalatha, Chief Educational Officer (CEO), Vellore. 

A help desk with helpline numbers (04175 – 250814; 04175-253845) was set up at the Tiruvannamalai Collectorate for the public to report any negligence in following safety measures by the school authorities. Special buses were also arranged for safe transport of students.  

At present, Tiruvannamalai district has a total of 2,185 schools, including 720 high and higher secondary schools with over 15 lakh students in classes 1 to 12. School uniforms and books are available in the campuses for students.

In Vellore, the drive to enrol students in government and Corporation-run schools was intensified during summer vacation. At present, Vellore Corporation has more than 300 schools with more than 5,000 teachers. Most of the schools were equipped with RO drinking water systems for students. As part of sanitisation, civic workers conducted regular fogging of the campuses.  

Ranipet district has a total of 910 schools, including 320 high and higher secondary schools. Respective RTOs in these districts have been checking for fitness of school vans and buses within its limits. Tirupattur district has around 330 schools from primary to higher secondary levels covering its six education taluks including Jolarpet, Tirupattur, Nattrampallai, and Madhanur. 

Education officials said that the School Education department has requested Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) to operate additional buses, especially in school zones for easy and safe commuting by students during school hours.