Amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, only 35.64 per cent of students of Class 6 to Class 8 have attended the school for physical classes on September 6, as per Karnataka Education Ministry data.

Schools in Karnataka for Class 6 to Class 8 have been reopened on September 6, adhering to all the COVID-19 protocols. In Class 8, only 23.22 per cent have attended physical classes on their first day of school on September 6, the data stated.

According to the state education ministry report, around 29.15 per cent of Class 6 students went to school for attending offline classes on September 6. There are more than 10 lakh students enrolled in Class 6 for the academic year 2021-2022.

In Class 7, only 28.05 per cent of students attended school on the first day, while the number of enrolled students exceeds 10 lakh in the state, as per official data.

Karnataka government took the decision to reopen the schools for Class 6 to Class8 on August 30, keeping in place all the COVID-19 protocols. However, the government has not made attendance mandatory for students. Thus, the state is operating a 'blended mode' of education i.e., students who do not want to resume physical classes will still have the option to attend online classes.