The Department of Primary and Secondary Education has decided to look into complaints of tutorials conducting physical classes in small rooms or sheds without following Standard Operating Procedures. The tutorials business is reportedly booming during the pandemic as schools are closed.
The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) lodged a complaint with the department. Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar said they would enquire into the matter.
D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of KAMS, said there are hundreds of tutorials conducting classes from as early as 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Many parents have not enrolled their children in schools the current academic year, but have paid fees to tutorials. We have pictures to show that these classes take place without social distancing and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour,” he said.
Many parents said they were forced to send their children for tuitions as their school was conducting online examination during April. Children had not grasped online lessons conducted by the school, they said.
Arjun S., parent of a class five student, said: “The school conducts only online classes. My son is unable to cope with online classes and my wife and I work from home and are unable to help him with online classes. So, we decided to send him for tuitions so that his learning does not dip,” he said.
A senior official in the Department of Public Instruction said jurisdictional Block Educational Officers would be asked to submit a report.
