Ludhiana’s icebox schools reopen to empty desks after winter break, ETEducation
Ludhiana: Thousands of students across the city remained home on Wednesday even as schools reopened officially following a twice-extended winter break. Govt institutes reported attendance figures as low as 15%, highlighting a growing divide between academic schedules and the reality of the region’s biting cold wave.
Originally slated to end on Jan 1, the winter break was pushed first to Jan 7 and then again to Jan 13 due to plummeting temperatures. The decision to resume classes on Jan. 14, which coincided with the Maghi festival and a persistent morning chill, has drawn a mixed response from educators and anxious parents.
A ‘Perfect Storm’ of Absences
School administrators across Ludhiana cited a combination of factors for the empty classrooms, ranging from cultural celebrations to academic pressures. Many families observed the traditional Maghi festival on Wednesday, leading to a significant drop-off in rural and urban attendance alike. A dense “cold wave” continues to grip the region, leaving primary school parents particularly concerned. With high-stakes pre-board examinations scheduled for Jan 16, many senior students reportedly opted to stay home to study.
The impact was felt most acutely in govt senior secondary smart schools, where attendance struggled to cross the 50% mark. Attendance figures varied across the city’s major institutions, but the trend remained consistently low. At the PAU Govt Senior Secondary Smart School, which serves approximately 2,500 students in its morning session, Principal Dr. Pardeep Sharma reported that only about 40% of the student body arrived for the first day of classes.
A similar situation was observed at the PM Shri Govt Senior Secondary School on Cemetery Road. Principal Charanjeet Kaur Ahuja noted that out of a total enrollment of 1,756 students, the attendance rate hovered at 42%. Officials attributed the nearly 60% absence rate to a combination of the lingering morning fog and the Maghi holiday.
The turnout was even more sparse at the Girls Govt Senior Secondary School in Jawahar Nagar. Principal Sonika Jain reported that exactly half of the school’s 516 students were present, citing the unfortunate timing of the festival coinciding with the first day back as a primary factor for the empty desks.
The lowest figures were recorded at the Shaheed-e-Azam Sukhdev Thapar Govt School, where attendance plummeted to between 15% and 20%. Principal Jaswinder Kaur Mangat suggested that the upcoming academic calendar was likely the cause, noting that with pre-board exams starting on Jan. 16, many students had likely remained home to prioritise their studies.
Blame Moved To Pre-Boards Prep
“The low turnout at our campus may be due to the upcoming pre-boards,” said Jaswinder Kaur Mangat, Principal of Shaheed-e-Azam Sukhdev Thapar Government School. “Students likely feel their time is better spent preparing at home.”
Parents Call for Flexibility
The reopening has sparked a debate over student safety during the winter months. Parents of primary-aged children have voiced significant concerns regarding the “morning chill,” with many requesting that the government either delay start times or shift to a hybrid online model. “The children are simply not comfortable in this weather,” one parent noted, echoing a widespread sentiment that the health risks of the commute outweigh the benefits of in-person instruction during extreme temperature dips.
While the school year is now officially back in session, the true test will come on Jan 16, when examinations are expected to force a more significant return to the classroom.
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