Karnataka HC: Schools to reopen in a phased manner

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on December 21, directed the state government to reopen schools  in a phased manner since the number of Covid-19 cases have come down.

While hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by AA Sanjeev Narrain, a division bench of Justice BV Nagaratna and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy said that the state government must apply its mind and examine if schools can be opened in a phased manner in places where a few or no cases are being reported.

The court also directed the state government to submit a report on steps taken to ensure children at government schools haven’t dropped out and steps taken for admission of children to class 1 after the completion of anganwadis.

On children being forced into child labour or child marriages, Justice Nagaratna said that schools have been closed from March 2020 and that there is no regular functioning of school till date and hence to ascertain whether children have been forced into child labour or child marriages the above directions have been issued.

The state informed the court about issuing an order directing that Vidyagama programme be resumed from January 1, from classes 1-10 in government as well as private schools.

The state also submitted that the government hasn’t yet raised money to procure laptops and tablets for students in government schools. The High Court further said that the government could make appeals to private companies to fund the scheme through CSR.