Offline to online: Schools plan a switch in time so that kids are fine

Some private unaided schools in the city have switched back to online mode, following reports of an increase in Covid-19 cases.

School managements have informed parents that offline classes will be suspended from December 1 and only online classes will be conducted. Schools are citing the rise in Covid cases as the reason for discontinuing physical classes.

Schools said parents were also demanding that the schools cancel physical classes.

The principal of a private unaided school affiliated to CBSE in Bengaluru North said: “We are receiving requests from parents to cancel offline classes. Since we have been holding classes in hybrid mode, we have not taken any decision on cancelling the offline classes. If the attendance starts dipping for offline mode, we will be forced to provide only online classes.”

Manila Carvalho, principal of Delhi Public School, East Bengaluru, said, “We have not yet started offline classes as parents are not ready to send their children to school. We have decided to reopen in January after the completion of the ongoing board exams for grade 10 and 12.”

Supreeth B R, principal of Oxford Group of Institutions, Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru, said, “The major issue is weather, which is turning colder each passing day. Also, people are panicking as Covid cases are being reported from schools. The new variant has added to the worries. Parents are requesting for classes to be conducted in online mode. We have not opted for the hybrid mode as it is not cost-effective.”

Private unaided school managements say that a majority of schools switching from offline to online mode are elite ones.