The Telangana High Court has stayed the state government's decision to reopen schools for physical classes from September 1. The High Court has declared that resuming physical classes in the educational institutions of the state is not mandatory. A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice M S Ramchandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar was hearing the case and gave a series of directions on the order issued by the state government on reopening of all schools from September 1.
The High Court, however today, has said that parents cannot be pressurised to give written consent to send their children to schools to continue classes in physical mode, adding that schools will decide whether they want to reopen schools or opt for online classes.
Also, the High Court said, no action can be taken against parents or schools for not attending or conducting offline classes.
The Telangana High Court was responding to a petitioner who argued that the state government did not discuss with private schools, before deciding to resume physical classes. "There is no scientific basis for reopening schools," the petitioner argued quoting reports of an impending third wave.
The Telangana government on August 25 had issued an order for resuming all schools from KG to PG in all schools -- private and government. The educational institutions have remained closed for over one-and-half years now. The lockdown and school closure was imposed in March 2020. On reopening schools from KG to PG level in government and private schools, the Chief Minister also directed officials to take special care to clean the premises of educational institutions.
