Confusion prevails in Karnataka as two Ministers differ on online classes

Ban in Karnataka is currently in place for students up to class 5; second instance of an apparent mix-up in Cabinet briefing.

A student using a phone for his classes.

Confusion and chaos prevailed on Thursday over the issue of extending a ban on online lessons for students up to class 7 in Karnataka, with two Ministers in the State expressing divergent views on the subject. The ban is currently in place for students up to class 5.

While Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy announced, after the Cabinet meeting, that they had decided to “ban” online classes till class 7, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar announced later that “no decision was made in this regard” and and some Ministers had only “suggested” that the existing ban be extended.

‘Only a suggestion’

Briefing presspersons earlier in the day, Mr. Madhuswamy said online classes will be banned till class 7 and that the Cabinet decision had been taken keeping in mind the challenges faced by students in rural areas.

However, two hours after Mr. Madhuswamy’s announcement, Mr. Suresh Kumar tweeted that the State government had decided to stop all online classes for LKG, UKG and classes up to class 5. To extend this up to class 7 was “only a suggestion from few Cabinet ministers, as expressed in an informal discussion, and not a decision,” he said.

Clarification

“My colleagues felt that the ban should be extended to class 7. There was a misunderstanding that it was a decision taken. But we want to clarify that no such decision has been taken and we will take a decision only after the expert committee submits its recommendation,” he explained in a release.

Department officials, later in the day, also stated that an order in this regard would be sent to schools shortly and the ban on online classes would be restricted only to students up to class 5.

This is the second instance of an apparent mix-up in Cabinet briefing by Mr. Madhuswamy. In an earlier instance, had spoken about a “ban” on entry of people from five States with a high incidence of COVID-19. He later retracted it to say that the State had only requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights from high-incidence States.