Belagavi schools reopen with festive cheer, but infra gaps worry parents

Belagavi: Over 5,000 schools in Belagavi district reopened on Monday after the summer vacation. This time, several govt schools in rural areas have been merged, and Karnataka Public Schools have been introduced under the bilingual system. The teaching community has also been trained to carry out educational activities under the new education policy, and guidelines have been issued in this regard. Festive preparations marked the school reopening, including cleanliness drives. Officials of the school education and literacy department, teachers, guardians, parents and students participated in the district-level main programmes held at Hosavantamuri and Sulebhavi govt schools in Belagavi taluk. The reopening ceremony was held on a grand scale in govt, aided and private schools on Monday.Children returned to school after enjoying their two-month summer vacation. As part of the celebrations, schools were cleaned through shramdaan activities. Students entered schools with enthusiasm on the first day. Textbooks and uniforms were distributed. The education department marked the occasion by serving sweets along with the midday meal.Lack of basic amenitiesWhile children are excited and parents are relieved that schools have reopened, the issue of the lack of basic facilities remains unresolved. Poor infrastructure and leaking buildings during the rainy season continue to worry students and parents.More than 600 classrooms in over 250 schools across Belagavi district — including 111 in Belagavi educational district and 139 in Chikodi educational district — are facing leakage issues. Officials said the delay in releasing funds for repairs resulted in the pending work before reopening.The monsoon arrived in the closing days of the vacation, leading to leakages in several school buildings. With classes under way, there are renewed calls to prioritise the safety of students. Leelavati Hiremath, deputy director, School Education and Literacy Department, said immediate steps are being taken to repair classrooms. As many as 85 new rooms have been sanctioned to address shortages, and the tender process will be completed soon.Bilingual schools rolled outDDPI Leelavati also said that 254 bilingual Karnataka Public Schools are being introduced in the district. These schools aim to help children develop academically from an early stage. Parents and students can choose Kannada, Marathi or Urdu along with English. Efforts are being made to attract students to govt schools. Appointment of guest teachers to improve learning quality has also begun.RS Seetaramu, DDPI Chikodi, said immediate action will be taken to address the shortage of basic facilities in schools.