Confusion and chaos prevailed on Thursday over the issue of extending a ban on online lessons for students up to class 7, with two Ministers expressing different views on the subject. The ban is currently in place for students up to class 5.
Briefing presspersons earlier in the day after the Cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy said that online classes will be banned till class 7 and said that the Cabinet decision had been taken keeping in mind the challenges faced by students in rural areas.
However, two hours later, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar tweeted that the State government has decided to stop all online classes for LKG, UKG and classes up to class 5. To extend this up to class 7 is “only a suggestion from few cabinet ministers as expressed in an informal discussion and not a decision,” he said.
He explained further in a release: “My colleagues felt that the ban should be extended to class 7. There was a misunderstanding that it was a decision taken. But we want to clarify that no such decision has been taken and we will take a decision only after the expert committee submits its recommendation”.
Department officials, later in the day, also stated that an order in this regard will be sent to schools shortly and the ban on online classes will be restricted only to class 5.
This is the second instance of a mix-up in Cabinet briefing by Mr. Madhuswamy, the earlier one being on the “ban” on entry of people from five States with a high incidence of COVID-19.
He later retracted it to say that the State had only requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights from high-incidence States.
