Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, an IB school in Bengaluru has asked students to come in 'voluntarily' to meet friends and teachers. This is despite the Karnataka government saying that students of classes 9, 10 and 11 should not go to schools to consult with teachers, although that was allowed as per the Unlock 3.0 guidelines by the Union government.

A person in the know of the school management’s decision said that, while the school started online classes even before the state government’s directive, things changed in October. “While the classes are told to be voluntary, teachers are being covertly forced to come to school,” the person alleged. The school management has been telling the staff that physical classes will be held for a maximum of 11 students each. The rest of the students can simultaneously attend the classes online. TNM has accessed an online document that both students and teachers had to fill up if they consented to coming into school.

However the school, said, “There are no classes being held at least till November 15 until we get clearance from the state government. Students might be going to the school to collect study materials."

While CBSE, ICSE, IB and other schools are allowed to continue with online classes, in a statement shared by the Chief Minister’s office on Sunday, Yediyurappa said, "I have directed officials to issue an order declaring a three-week holiday for schools from October 12 to 30 in view of the reports that several teachers have been infected by COVID-19." This applies to state board schools in Karnataka. 

This order came following the Primary and Secondary Education Department’s decision to suspend the Vidyagama scheme on Saturday. The scheme was designed for children in rural areas, under which their teachers could teach them in public spaces as schools were shut. However, it was shut down after reports that 34 students came down with COVID-19 in Belagavi and Kalaburagi districts.