State’s defence: Ban on online classes to protect kids’ health

HC hears out schools, to pass order today; AG says ban won’t affect students’ education
State’s defence: Ban on online classes to protect kids’ health

BENGALURU: Clarifying that it is not against online classes, the Karnataka government on Monday strongly defended its decision to ban online classes, saying it has imposed ‘temporary reasonable restrictions’ to protect the health of children.A batch of petitions questioning the ban on online education was taken up for hearing by the division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy. Advocate General (AG) Prabhuling K Navadgi submitted that the petitioners’ argument that the ban will affect students’ education for one year is not correct.

Stating that the government has taken into account several factors before imposing restrictions, the AG termed the petitions “premature”. The government had consulted experts before banning online classes, and had later come up with an interim solution, following the observations made by court. There is no violation of fundamental rights, he argued.The bench then posed a series of questions to the AG: “What is the statutory power to ban classes? What is the source of power of the experts’ panel?” It suggested that the government withdraw the order and allow online classes to go on till the experts decide, and then pass an order under the Karnataka Education Act. It also questioned the state on how it will control CBSE and ICSE schools. 

The bench pointed out that there was no statutory basis for the ban order, which was passed on the note put up by Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on June 11, 2020, and the Nimhans letter dated May 19, 2020. The state cannot say it cannot allow online classes for urban students, saying that rural students are deprived of it. As per Article 21-A, the state should extend this facility to rural areas also, the bench noted.

Senior counsel Madhusudan R Naik, representing ICSE schools, argued that the state has taken a decision based on a casual letter by Nimhans. To a query, Naik argued that they are not charging extra fee for online classes and there is no compulsion of using a laptop or mobile. After hearing the arguments, the bench said it will pass the order on Tuesday.

Donate salary to aid pvt school counterparts: Minister to govt teachers
Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Monday urged government and aided school teachers to forgo their salary for a day or two, to help their counterparts in private schools. Private school teachers were in distress and the government is looking into all options to provide assistance to them, Kumar said, chairing a meeting of teachers’ associations and education department officials. “Dear teachers (government), the government has not deprived you of any perks even during these testing times. Now, it is time to lend a helping hand to the private teachers.

I too will contribute,” Kumar said. President of the Primary Teachers Association Narayanaswami pledged to contribute a month’s salary towards the welfare of teachers in private schools. In response, the Associated Management of Schools in Karnataka, tweeted, “Good gesture by Govt. Teacher Assn. leaders, but at large EM pls look in to our demand of TWF fund, it’s our money used for Govt. Teacher welfare all this years, let us get support from own money, need not burden Govt (sic).”  

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