Bhima Koregaon violence: Schoolkids, parents spend protest day in confusion, fear

Confusion prevailed among school students with the state government’s decision to keep educational institutions open on Wednesday.

With buses being off roads, CBSE, ICSE and international board schools remained shut as a precautionary measure. “There were no school buses and the situation seemed tense. So we decided to keep the school shut and announced the decision on Wednesday night itself,” said Rohan Bhat, Chairperson of Childrens Academy Group of schools.

Barring schools in areas like Ghatkopar, Chembur, Mankhurd and some other eastern suburbs which remained shut, most state board schools were open on Wednesday but let students go home early. Principals said that attendance was very thin as most parents had decided not to take the risk of sending their children to school. “We got only a handful of students in the morning session. Looking at the situation outside, we left them soon as their parents came to pick them up,” said Prashant Redij, Principal, Hilda Casilda High School in Kandivali.

Swapna Trailokya, Principal of Parle Tilak Vidyalaya, said: “While a few students did turn up in the afternoon session, we had to leave them in the next few minutes with their parents.”