Karnataka finally issues order banning online classes up to Class 5

Six days after the Karnataka State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education announced a ban on online classes up to Class 5, the department finally issued an official government order on Monday evening.

The order directs all schools across the boards to stop online classes for children from kindergarten to Class 5 and not to collect fee from parents in the name of online education.

"Using the powers under Karnataka Education act (1983) Section (7), we are issuing an order where schools affiliating to ICSE, CBSE, State and other international boards are not allowed to offer online classes from LKG to Class 5. If the schools have already been offering online classes for these grades, the same should be stopped immediately. Even the pre-recorded video and audio contents should not be sent to students until the government receives a report from expert committee which is constituted to look into the matter," the order stated.

It can be recalled that it has been six days the minister announced a ban on online classes up to Class 5. Following the delay in issuing official order by the department, several private schools continued to offer online classes even on Monday and parents approached the helpline setup by department and filed complaint.

New norms for Class 6-10

A committee headed by senior academician Prof M K Sridhar will look into the scientific ways of offering online education to kids between Class 6 to 10 according to their age. The committee consisted of other members: academicians Dr Gururaj Karjagi, Dr V P Niranjanaradhya, representatives from early brain hood association, parents and school managements representing ICSE, CBSE and state board schools, the commissioner for public instructions, pediatricians from Nimhans.

Responsibilities of new committee:

• Framing guidelines to offer online education for Class 6 to 10 according to the age
• Suggest ways to engage students of LKG to Class 5 without online classes
• Alternatives to provide education during COVID-19 crisis without harming the traditional teaching
• Physical and Mental health issues among children due to online education