After a blanket ban on any form of online classes [live or pre-recorded], the State government has come out with an order stating that educational institutions can conduct online classes. However, it will be followed only until an expert committee submits its report.
The order, which came on Saturday, comes with some riders. It states that online classes [synchronous] can be conducted for 30 to 45 minutes not exceeding two periods per day. Classes must be conducted on alternate days [only three days in a week]. Interestingly, the order allows educational institutions to conduct 30-minute online classes for LKG and UKG kids under parental supervision.
It also states that students studying in classes 6 to 8 can have 30 to 45 minutes online classes [two periods] not exceeding five days a week. For students of classes 9 to 10, the limit is set to 30 to 45 minutes of classes, not exceeding four periods per day. Online classes can be conducted five days a week for them.
This is an interim arrangement and will be in force till the government comes out with guidelines based on the report of the expert committee. The committee has already conducted two meetings on the issue. The educational institutions have also been directed not to charge an extra fee for providing online education.
Mansoor Ali Khan, general secretary of the Management of Independent CBSE Schools in Karnataka, said, “Earlier, the State government had banned online education till class 5. Now, they have come up with some temporary arrangements. This will lead to a lot of confusion among parents. The State government should have come up with a comprehensive order based on the final report of the expert committee report”.
Nagasimha G. Rao, director of the Child Right Trust, said, “The order does not serve any purpose. The State government should come out with policy which will address various issues. There is a huge digital divide among students studying in rural and urban areas. Poor families cannot afford smartphones and internet packages. The government has not addressed these issues.”
