Goa schools open April 2025-26 academic year with 90% attendance

Panaji/Margao/Colva: A majority of state board-affiliated schools across Goa on Monday saw 90% and above attendance, when the school academic year 2025-26 began for the first time in April as against the traditional June start. Most schools said Balrath transport was made available to students and midday meals were served, even though classes ended at 11.30am.
Schools held morning assembly too, distributed textbooks and rearranged students as per the new divisions on Day 1. Full-fledged teaching took place in many schools, with up to five subject periods being conducted by teachers.
At PM Shri Govt High School, Morpirla, students, mainly tribals, were welcomed to the new year by handing them fruits, and school supplies like pens and notebooks.
“We also provided them with welcome drinks. This gesture will help create a positive and productive academic year,” said headmistress Maria Miranda.
Selena D’Souza, headmistress of Chubby Cheeks Spring Valley High School, said her school saw 90% attendance on the first day. “We have many children of migrants from UP, Rajasthan, etc. working or having businesses in Goa. They usually go to their native place for vacations and as usual this year too they informed us they will only be able to attend school in June. Yet our attendance was 90%. Many parents are happy to have children in school. Students lose touch with studies being at home for two month,” she said.
One school in Porvorim said they saw 75% attendance on the first day and are expecting it to improve in the coming days.
Nalini Xavier, headmistress, Holy Family High School, Socorro, said, “We are functioning full-fledged. Students are being rearranged in the classes as it is the first day. Midday meals will also be served. Balrath also operated today. We had an assembly as usual. As it is the first day, we will be having four periods today. We have informed parents too to maintain good attendance as portions will be covered. Some may have gone on holidays, but attendance has been good.”
At Popular High School, Margao, headmistress Suchitra Desai told TOI that the school has been sending out messages for several days now to ensure cent per cent attendance. “This early start will definitely help students and give them time to improve. I feel these classes will also keep students away from their mobile phones. We will be starting with the portion right away,” she said.
A student of a school at Cujira complex, Kristine, said that the school fans were not operating properly and it was very hot to sit in class.
Dilip Dharwadkar, from the management of Mushtifund High School, Cujira, said the school has not received a single objection from parents against conducting schools in April.
Headmaster of Loyola High School, Fr Simon D’Mello, told TOI that all students attended classes without any issues. He said the school has enough fans and infrastructure to get the students through the heat wave.
One head of a Bardez school, however, said that the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) felt rushed to schools and they would have liked it to be more systematic. “Now, teachers are making the timetable per day, as there was no time to make it. Teachers were busy with preparing report cards, some teachers had gone for state board paper corrections, others were called for NEP training. Though we were informed in Nov that it is proposed to start schools in April, it was confirmed only much later to us,” the school head said.
Schools across the coastal belt of Salcete witnessed an encouraging response from students, with over 90% attendance reported. Traditionally, schools would reopen in the first week of June after the final examinations.
Sr Leena Gracias, headmistress of St Pius High School, Orlim, said, “We had 80% attendance. Being the first day of school, we have not begun with the academic syllabus. The teaching-learning process will start gradually in the coming days to allow students to settle in comfortably.”
Headmistresses of St Aloysius High School, Benaulim, Gloria Alemao, said, “More than 90% of our students are present. The number could have been higher if transfer certificates were issued on time for newly admitted students. Although provisional admissions have been granted, official documentation is pending until the final results are declared after April 30.”
Jesuina Da Cunha e Mello, headmistress of Infant Jesus High School, Colva, said that although regular operations have begun, they are taking a staggered approach to teaching to “ensure smooth transition for both students and teachers”.
However, school managements have said one challenge is the short window to carry out maintenance works on the school buildings, which was previously carried out during April and May.
Headmistress of St Ann’s High School, Tivim, Sr Leena Mascarenhas, said her school almost had 100% attendance. “It was a joyful experience to return to school for children. Teaching took place till 11am on the first day. We have given them an interval in between to relax.”
Most of the schools in Canacona registered over 80% of the attendance. St Anne’s Institute, Agonda registered 88% attendance, said headmaster Cedrico Monteiro, while Ashok Velip of Day Care High School, Shristhal, said that he was very happy to see 95% of children attending school.
Govt High School Sadolxem saw 81% attendance, while Govt High School, Paddi saw 92% attendance.
(With inputs from Albert Fernandes)