'Closing schools should be measure of last resort'

Private school managements have urged the state government to consider closing down schools after taking into account the taluk-wise test positivity rate (TPR).

The Recognised Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA) on Monday urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to consider the closure of schools based on the cases reported at taluk levels, instead of considering the positivity rate at the district.

As deputy commissioners are empowered to take a decision in this regard, around six districts, including Bengaluru Urban, have announced the closing of schools following a surge in Covid numbers. But going by the taluk-wise data, some taluks have very few Covid-19 cases, said Lokesh Talikatte, president, RUPSA.

Also read: Tamil Nadu's active Covid-19 cases breach 1.5 lakh mark

"We have been urging the government since the beginning to consider the closure of schools as a last resort. When malls, cinema halls, parks, and wedding halls are permitted to function, why not schools? Closure of schools should be the last option the government should consider as children are safe on campuses," said D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka.

"The closure of physical classes for almost two years has hit the child's learning ability. We even requested the government to frame a separate set of guidelines for schools and allow them to function," Kumar said.

'Keep health minister out of these decisions'

Meanwhile, the associations have said the health minister should not be allowed to decide on the functioning of schools and colleges.

"We request the Chief Minister to let the education department, experts, and the minister concerned to take decisions when it comes to the closure of schools and colleges. The health minister should not be allowed to decide on this matter," Kumar said.

As of now, offline classes for grades 1 to 9 have been suspended in Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi, Mysuru, Mandya, Dharwad, and Ballari.

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