Nagpur: Attendance in schools across Nagpur remained well below normal on Thursday as many parents chose not to send their children to class despite schools reopening after Wednesday’s closure. The decision came in the wake of Tuesday’s cloudburst-like spell and a fresh weather alert by IMD for Nagpur district.Schools resumed regular academic activities after remaining shut for a day, but classrooms across the city witnessed several empty benches. Principals estimated absenteeism at around 20%, substantially higher than on an ordinary working day.Though there was no official consolidated data available, principals of many schools with high enrolment told TOI that absenteeism was noticed.While the city witnessed a largely dry morning on Thursday, allowing schools to begin classes without disruption, many parents remained apprehensive about the possibility of another intense spell of rain later in the day. Their concerns proved justified as heavy showers returned in the afternoon, affecting traffic movement in several areas.A principal of a state board school said, “Attendance was visibly thinner across almost every class. The school functioned normally and all teachers reported for duty, but a large number of parents informed us that they would prefer to keep their children at home for another day.”School administrators said the lower attendance did not affect the conduct of classes, though teachers had to adjust lesson plans keeping in mind that a sizeable section of students was absent. Some schools focused on revision work and classroom discussions instead of introducing major new topics so that absent students would not be at a disadvantage when they returned.
