Reshma Ravishanker
Selected private unaided schools in the state have announced that in-person attendance on-campus will be compulsory post-Diwali from November 8.
Discreetly, without issuing official circulars, several private unaided school managements across Bengaluru have told parents that online teaching-learning will be suspended for those classes where a higher percentage of parents opt for in-person classes. This, despite the state government’s circular on SOPs for school reopening released on October 21 specifying that attending offline classes is not mandatory for students.
Radhika (name changed), parent of a class V student studying in a co-ed CISCE affiliated school in Vijaynagar said that students have been mandated to come to school from November 8. “The school’s official circular read that offline classes would continue. However, the class teacher personally communicated to parents that attending in-person classes is mandatory. We were told that the school has seen good response for in-person classes and will hence, shift back to the conventional way of teaching. Out of a class strength of 35 students in class V, 27 have opted for offline classes according to the teacher, While the government circular clearly indicates that it is not mandatory, schools are giving parents no option. This is wrong as not all of us are confident about sending our children to school without vaccination” she said.
Venkatesh S Ayachit, teacher, from another CBSE private school in Cholanayakanahalli, Hebbal, said that out of 24 students in class VII, 20 have opted for the online option and that only in-person classes option will be provided for students across age groups starting Monday.
“We commenced only-offline classes in October post Navratri for classes VII to X. The response has been welcoming. We are looking at working on the same lines for the primary classes as well. From Monday onwards, there is no online option even for the primary classes,” he said.
