Drumbeats, petals, sweets welcome pupils back at DK schools reopening

Mangaluru: Schools across Dakshina Kannada reopened Monday after the summer vacation, with campuses coming alive with laughter, colour and lively chatter as students returned to classrooms.Teachers and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members made elaborate arrangements to welcome pupils on the first day of the new academic year. School premises were decorated with balloons, flowers and colourful displays, while processions accompanied by drumbeats added to a festive atmosphere.Students carrying placards spread messages on the importance of education, as residents lined the streets to cheer the pupils as they passed by.At Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat higher primary school, Bokkapatna, children were excited to reunite with their friends after the long break. Classrooms and corridors echoed with cheerful conversations as students exchanged stories from their vacations, while some enthusiastically resumed their games sessions.A warm welcome awaited newly enrolled students at the higher primary school in Mannagudda. Newcomers were greeted with balloons, even as flower petals were showered on them, along with sprinkling of rosewater.In a unique blend of tradition and learning, teachers conducted a Vidyarambha-style initiation ceremony, guiding class I students to write their first letters on rice grains. Children were introduced to both Kannada and English alphabets during the ritual.The district has rolled out bilingual education in Kannada and English across all primary schools from this academic year.Adding a dash of sweetness to the day – and quite literally -- students were served ‘payasam’ along with their mid-day meal.DDPI Shashidhar D S participated in the Shala Prarambhotsava celebrations at the govt primary and high school in Badaga Yekkaru, where students were taken in a colourful procession to mark the reopening of schools. This rural school has a student strength of around 150.Shashidhar said district and taluk-level officials visited schools across the district as part of the reopening celebrations.Meanwhile, in Puttur, MLA Ashok Kumar Rai participated in the Shala Prarambhotsava celebrations at the govt school in Samethadka.In Udupi, MLA Yashpal Suvarna said educated youth play a crucial role in the overall development of the nation and that quality education is the foundation of a strong and prosperous India.Sweets were distributed among 20,000 students of govt and aided schools within Udupi assembly constituency. The initiative, organised by Pushpananda Foundation, was conducted by govt composite high school, Volakadu.