E-Paper
HC asks state to inform when primary and pre-primary schools will start
Mumbai: The Bombay high court (HC) has directed Maharashtra government to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a non-governmental organisation
Mumbai: The Bombay high court (HC) has directed Maharashtra government to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ezra Foundation, which has sought to bar reopening of primary and pre-primary schools – both online and offline – in the state till September because of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
The court sought to know about the status of classes for students up to the age of 14 years after the state government informed the HC that it had issued a notification on June 15, which had stated that schools for students up to class II wouldn’t be reopened till September.
State advocate-general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni said he would respond by Friday on the directions sought by the court.
Earlier, a two-member division bench of the HC, comprising chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice KK Tated, while hearing the PIL, filed by Ezra Foundation, through video-conference, was informed by the petitioner’s advocates Shashikant Chaudhari and Manoj Kumar Singh that the health and well-being of children in the age group between six and 14 years would be at risk if schools were allowed to start, either online or offline.
The advocates prayed before the court that the students in that age group would be most vulnerable to contract SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, if they are asked to attend classes.
Similarly, their heath would take a toll, if they are asked to attend online classes for a prolonged duration and many parents also would not be able to provide expensive tools required for e-learning, they pleaded.
The advocates also urged the court to direct the state government to frame guidelines for a “common fee structure” for private schools for the academic year (2020-21), as many parents are facing huge financial constraints due to the lockdown restrictions.
They also drew the court’s attention to how many parents have been coerced by several private school authorities to pay fees for the new academic session even though the classes are yet to begin because of the viral outbreak.
They prayed for a court-monitored committee for framing guidelines for reopening of schools across the state and also a list of erring schools be prepared for charging fees in advance and called for revoking their registration.
