Schools in Bengaluru forcing pupils to attend offline classes: Parents

Some private schools are allegedly forcing parents to send their children to attend physical classes though the government has not made them mandatory.

Several parents sent DH e-mails alleging pressure to send pupils to school. The RTE Students' and Parents' Association had also received complaints against some schools.

Parents complained the schools are obstinate about their children attending physical classes though they are unwilling to send them. "The school is forcing my child to attend offline classes though the government has made it optional," wrote a parent of a class 11 student.

Another parent stated: "We received a communication from the school saying that the online option will be discontinued from January 15 onwards and it was compulsory to attend offline classes. We even brought it to the notice of the primary and secondary education minister."

B A Yogananda, secretary, RTE Students and Parents Association, said they had thousands of such complaints. “Some schools started offline classes much before the government officially reopened schools,” he added.

"We have evidence of some corporate schools conducting classes even for upper primary grades for the last three months. The department of public instruction must take action against such schools as they are putting children to risk during the pandemic," he said.

Some parents claimed schools were forcing children to attend classes so that they can collect the fees. "Many parents refused to pay the second term fee. Some schools are (therefore) making it mandatory to attend offline classes to collect fee,” a parent said.

A senior official from the department of public instruction reiterated that attending offline classes is not compulsory. "If the schools are pressuring parents to send kids to schools, they can file complaint with the concerned Block Education Officer," the official added.