Schools reopen in Hills, attendance not yet full

SNS, Kurseong, 13 September: All students are yet to arrive and report to their respective schools in Darjeeling Hills even though classes have resumed from today. 

After a gap of almost one-and-a-half months, proper educational sessions of each and every school have finally started from today even if the students in entirety are yet to report. Sources said that almost all students of most schools have returned back to resume their education again but some percentage of them are yet to turn up. 

Meanwhile, in Kurseong, considered to be the best educational hub within the District, all schools have once again re-started their sessions after a gap of more than a month. 

A school authority in Kurseong said: "We were really worried whether the students would return back because of the statehood agitation but fortunately 98 per cent of our students have returned back and hopefully the rest will also report to school after some time." Another said: "Ninety-five per cent of our students have reported to school and others might come later. However, we are in continuous touch with parents of the absent students and have been given assurances of their return but at the same time some may not. 

Previously too, whenever students have been withdrawn in the mid-session because of bandhs or other reasons, a few percentage of them failed to turned up later and we believe it will be the same this time too." 

Notably, Darjeeling Hills had been suddenly shut down from 29 July in demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland by the GJMM party that was a fallout due to the announcement of formation of Telangana. 

Then, Mr Bimal Gurung, the chief of the GJMM had directed all schools to ask their boarding students to return to their respective homes as the Gorkhaland agitation would be intensified and anything could happen. 

Later, keeping in mind the importance of education in the Hills, the party has decided to let the schools resume with their normal activities after almost one-and-a-half months. 

The GJMM this time have directed school authorities to involve themselves as well as the students as a part of the Gorkhaland agitation by sending memorandum to the President of India in favour of statehood. The school authorities have also been told to brief their students on Gorkhaland during their morning assembly.