COVID-19: State govt suspends physical classes for std six-nine students in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: With coronavirus cases surging in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government on Thursday announced suspending regular classes for standard six to nine in Bengaluru urban district with immediate effect.

“Keeping in view the increasing COVID cases, the physical classes for standard six to nine has been stopped with immediate effect till the next order,” state Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said in a statement.

The decision was taken in view of the health of students in this age group, he added. However, the regular classes for Class 10 students will continue. The regular physical classes for standard six to nine in other parts of the state will continue as it is subject to the condition that decisions will be taken keeping in view the situation in future.

Regarding exams, the minister clarified that the directions on holding the exams for classes six to nine will be taken in the coming days. The regular classes for class six to nine started from January 1 in the state after the primary and secondary schools remained shut more than half of the 2020-21 academic year.

Virtual classes or the online classes were the only means to impart education to the students between Class six and 10 to contain coronavirus cases last year.

The decline in cases encouraged the government to conduct regular classes but the sudden spurt in cases, which the Karnataka Health Minister called ”Second Wave of Coronavirus” has now forced the education department to suspend regular classes for standard six to nine.