Telangana High Court Asks Govt To Spell Out Its Stand On Online Classes

HYDERABAD: Telangana High Court has directed the state government to make its stand clear on the online classes that are being conducted by private schools in the state. The court has asked the government to inform it by Friday, July 3, 2020, if they are framing any policy for the online classes being conducted by private schools. The court said this while hearing a Public Interest Litigation ( PIL) filed by Hyderabad School Students Parents Association seeking a ban on online classes. The High Court has also questioned whether the government had issued any circular to private schools on conducting online classes.

The public interest litigation filed in the court had challenged the conducting of online classes before the commencement of the academic year and called it an illegal move. The court was also informed that the state government had not issued any orders regarding the beginning of the new academic year as yet.

The division bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijayasen Reddy heard the case. The petitioner also informed how conducting online classes was unfair for many students who come from poor financial background and could not afford the resources which are needed to attend online classes.

The court asked the government, "Will all the people have the capacity to buy laptops and smartphones?"  To this, the government counsel informed that district education officers are taking necessary steps in this regard.

The court gave the state government two days' time till July 3, 2020, to submit its response in this regard. The state government will have to come up with a policy of online classes. The parents and the students now have to wait till Friday for the government's decision.