BANGALORE: The state government is unsure if it can allow Orchids School, Jalahalli, to continue running classes for nursery and classes 6 and 7 for the current academic year.
However, parents of children studying in those classes are hopeful of getting legal clearance from the government to complete the current year. If not, they said, they will approach the courts.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with parents at his office in the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar said, “The problem has not yet been resolved. The legal department has sought two days to give its opinion and we have requested the parents to wait for two days.”
Ratnakar said, “If the legal opinion is positive, we will go ahead and permit the school to complete this academic year. If it is negative, we will take appropriate action.’’
“The parents are requesting the government to permit the school to complete this academic year. But if we do so, it is a violation of the RTE Act and our own Acts of 1991 and 1992. We have communicated this to the parents,” he said.
Meanwhile, the department is looking at options to accommodate children in other schools if the legal opinion is not favourable. “There are many schools within a 2-3 km radius which are on par with
Orchids. The other schools are also open to admitting children from Orchids. They will not be abandoned,” the minister said.
You’ve Got Mail
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) probing the Jalahalli School syllabus cheating case is reaching out to 975 parents through email to record their views in a non-intrusive way.
On Thursday, a simple questionnaire was emailed and a bulk SMS was sent to all 975 parents. According to Abhishek Goyal, DCP (Crime), the parents’ response has been good.
“Had we called all the parents for recording their statements, it would have taken us months and caused them inconvenience,” he said.
The kids are depressed
Parents say the students of classes 6 and 7 at Orchids School are depressed and want to know when they can return to school. Priya Ravichandran, a parent, said, “They are depressed. We are convincing them they will go to school soon.”