854 schools to reopen in Thoothukudi district today

Schools in Thoothukudi to reopen on Tuesday after heavy rains & floods. Parents suggest primary schools delay reopening.

After the unprecedented rain and floods experienced in Thoothukudi district during mid-December last year, educational institutions are set to reopen on Tuesday.

Following the very heavy rainfall in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi districts, the educational institutions had declared a holiday. Half-yearly examinations were postponed as the school buildings were either flooded or could not be accessed due to inundation.

With restoration exercise carried out over the last 10 days and with not much rain in the district, normal life has started to return slowly.

With the School Education Department’s announcement on reopening of schools on Tuesday, a team of officials led by Collector G Lakshmipathi, Additional Collector (Development) Aishwarya, four Joint Directors from the Chennai School Education Department, Chief Educational Officer and officers from the Revenue, PWD, WRD departments, among others, carried out inspection during the last two days.

In some schools, rainwater is yet to be pumped out from the playground.

A total of 1,854 schools comprising 1,221 primary, 304 middle, 111 high and 218 higher secondary schools would be opened, the officials said and added that initially they would not compel the students on attendance as some of the parents had informed that their wards had cold, cough and mild temperature.

Meanwhile, the parents suggested that the primary schools postpone the reopening by at least a week. Considering the inundation in their schools, they were apprehensive that their children might be exposed to air pollution.