After much hue and cry, the Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to discontinue with online classes for students from classes 1 to 5.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar made the announcement while stating that virtual classes for secondary students would continue.
"For now, we have made this decision for LKG, UKG and primary classes, considering their age and mental well-being,” the minister reporters. The government has also decided to halt fees being taken for the online classes with immediate effect.
It has however allowed pre-recorded sessions for students of lower and upper kindergarten as well as primary grades. The minister said a committee would be formed to look into the modalities of how to engage these student through other methods.
Kumar said his department would issue guidelines for online teaching that private schools will have to abide by.
The decision comes on the backdrop of several parents complaining that they did not want to put children of tender ages before laptop/desktop screens for long hours.
The government was also criticised for assuming that every student was in possession of a laptop or phone to undertake these classes.
The minister said schools would have to ensure that a certain section of students do not get excluded while conducting of such classes, adding that the gap between haves and have-nots should not increase.
The government has also sought recommendations from experts from NIMHANS who had stated that virtual classes should ideally not be held for students up to Class 3.
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