As schools reopened after the summer vacation, officials, teachers and members of school development and monitoring committees in Dharwad district welcomed the students with sweets, flowers, textbooks, uniforms and education paraphernalia on Monday (June 1).

In various places, students were escorted to school in a colourful procession comprising bands, and school premises were decorated with buntings and balloons.

Parents and people from different walks of life were also part of these processions, while children carried small placards highlighting the significance of education.

Welcoming the students at Government Higher Primary School in Dharwad Rural, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Snehal R. highlighted the significance of education and called on the parents to provide their children with quality education.

“Education brings out the hidden talents among the children and helps them develop physical, mental, and intellectual abilities. Education instills discipline, self-control, cooperation, self-reliance, and respect, while also nurturing emotional qualities and improving health,” she said.

Addressing SSLC students, the Deputy Commissioner emphasised the need for being consistent in their efforts, which she said would help them in achieving excellence and bring laurels to their schools, teachers, and parents.

Dharwad Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhuvanesh Patil said that several initiatives had been taken over the past three years to improve SSLC examination results in the district and consequently, the district had moved up from 18th position last year to 12th position this year. Congratulating the teachers, headmasters, parents, and education officials for their contributions in this regard, he called on everyone to continue their efforts in the same way in order to stand among the top five districts in the State.

Stressing that government schools should not be looked down upon, Deputy Director of Public Instruction Umesh Bommakkanavar pointed out that many successful individuals were products of government schools.

AIDSO welcomes students

Office-bearers and members of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) too visited various schools in Navalur and welcomed the students with flowers on the reopening day.

AIDSO office-bearer Shashikala Meti said that all stakeholders should unitedly exert pressure on the government to not merge the government schools. In the guise of opening KPS Magnet schools, thousands of schools across the State and 600 in Dharwad had been identified for the merger, which should be strongly opposed, she said.