The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to conduct a fresh hearing of all stakeholders, including the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and inform the court whether any modification of the commission’s order restricting the duration of online classes of CBSE-affiliated schools can be made.
Justice Devan Ramachandran, while issuing the directive, extended till October 14 the stay on the commission's order directing the schools affiliated to the CBSE to limit the duration of online classes to two hours and give students a break of 10-15 minutes.
The court directed the commission to file a statement after holding a fresh hearing of all stakeholders.
When a petition filed by a CBSE school from Thiruvalla challenging the commission's order came up for hearing, the court observed that since the education of the children was regulated specifically by the syllabus and the schedule as stipulated by the CBSE from time to time, the commission should have consulted CBSE before issuing the order.
The petitioner alleged that the order was in violation of the guidelines issued by the Centre and State governments on online classes and examinations.
The commission had passed the order on complaints filed by the parents of some students. The parents had complained that online classes were being held from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. As a result, the students were forced to use their mobile phones continuously, affecting their eyesight and putting them in severe stress.
