Private school managements in Karnataka are upset with the state government seemingly backtracking on its decision to allow private schools to partially reopen. While the government had earlier said that schools can reopen partially and allow students from Class 9 to Class 12 to physically attend schools, on Saturday, a circular issued to the schools said only admission processes can take place. The admission process for students between Classes 1 and 12 must be completed before September 30, it said. 

A delegation of officials from private schools are set to meet the state government over the matter today. They are expected to point to the Union government’s directives which allow students to attend classes physically, with adequate safety measures in place, as part of Unlock 4.0 guidelines from September 21 itself. Currently, under the ‘Vidyagama’ scheme, the government is allowing state-run schools to function  in open areas.

Speaking in Mysuru on Friday, education minister Suresh Kumar himself had said that schools and pre-university colleges in Karnataka will open from September 21 with students of Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12 having a chance to clear their doubts with teachers.

Pointing out that the state government had gone back on its plans, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) Shashi Kumar D said that this ‘last-minute change’ by the government will hurt private schools financially. He also complained that the state government was making a distinction between government and private schools. 

“We are not in a hurry to open our schools after waiting for this long but the government misguided us and changed the decision at the last moment. Why can’t the government consult with us on these issues?” he asked, speaking to TNM. He also alleged that while the government claimed that classes in government schools are being held in the open, this was not the case on the ground as they were being held in classrooms too.

Shashi Kumar added that school managements have been forced to spend huge amounts of money to ensure safety measures to partially reopen schools for the first time since mid-March.

Source: TheNewsMinute

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