Academic activities resumed at Parlalpur High School in Kaliachak 3 block of Malda district on Monday, after the displaced victims of strife-stricken Samserganj in the neighbouring Murshidabad district vacated the campus and left for their homes on Sunday afternoon.

Teaching remained suspended at the school as most of the classrooms were occupied by the families from Murshidabad. Altogether, members of 61 families had taken refuge at the institution by crossing the Ganga on boats.

After the school was vacated, the teachers did not delay in resuming classes as they had to complete the syllabus, with barely a week left before the summer vacation.

Although classes resumed on Monday, the school authority faces another challenge in imparting education to its students.

The strength of teachers has decreased by over 50 per cent after the Supreme Court invalidated the appointment of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching employees at government schools.

“Since the school was closed for nearly a week and the classes could not be held, we did not delay in resuming regular school activities,” Nurul Huda, the headmaster of Parlalpur High School, told The Telegraph.

“We could not declare the results of the second-semester exams held in March. Soon after opening the school, we distributed the mark sheets to Class XI students,” he added.

The teachers said that people of the locality largely depended on the school for the education of their wards.

“There is no denying the fact that, as classes could not be held for nearly a week, the students suffered. We are happy that they could finally come back to classes,” said
a teacher.

However, the attendance in the school was comparatively lower on the first day.

“We do not know if they have any mental issues in returning to school. We have started contacting their guardians so that the attendance increases in due course,” the teacher added.

Banibrata Das, the district inspector of schools (secondary education) of Malda, said: “We are planning to arrange additional classes in consultation with and teachers so that the students can make up for losses in their studies.”