Many schools said they were trying to continue with their routine and engage children in activities to give them "positive reinforcements" at a time when protests surround them.

From holding literary fests to continuing with exams on schedule, the role of the school should be to maintain regularity in routine, teachers said.

Students have to be made aware of current affairs but simultaneously, they need to be told about the positive things happening around them, a school head said.

"It is important that their minds are occupied with meaningful activities and not mired with negative thoughts alone," said Seema Sapru, principal, The Heritage School.

The city has been witnessing protests and rallies almost every day.

"It is becoming challenging to maintain balance because some days there are protests and you have to close school early. And some days, we follow regular timings and children get stuck on the roads," said Tina Servaia, principal, senior school, Calcutta International School.

Suman Sood, director, BD Memorial, said: "For children, routine is important and their emotional well-being is strengthened by routine."

The school organised a literary fest for children. Children shared stories they had read and two authors addressed them.

Many schools were forced to shut down on at least two days because of the possibility of violence on the roads. The first was a march call by a shadowy students' outfit to the state secretariat on August 27. The second was a 12-hour strike called by the BJP the day after.

Several schools had to reschedule their exams so students were not inconvenienced.

Sapru said: "There has been a beginning and there also has to be a close. One needs to assess the outcome."

"Of course school students have to be sensitised about what is wrong but their regular routine has to be prioritised... Only when they are educated would they be able to discern between right and wrong," said Koeli Dey, principal, Sushila Birla Girls' School.

There is a surfeit of information around students and not all of it is factually accurate and that is a serious concern, said teachers.

"There are graphic details that many students might not be able to process. Under these circumstances, they need to take recourse to the regularity in their lives. If everything around them changes, it is going to play havoc in their emotional space," a teacher said.