New Delhi:

A ban on online classes in Karnataka for younger children may be extended to the seventh grade. The state government today said it is considering suggestions from cabinet ministers to put on hold online classes not just till Class 5 but also for 6 and 7. On Wednesday, amid complaints about virtual classes held during the coronavirus lockdown, the state government decided to stop online teaching for children from Kindergarten (KG) to Class 5.

The government said it had consulted experts who believed that these classes are detrimental for children who are too young.

“The online teaching for LKG, UKG, primary classes had become a burning issue. The issue was too young children are being given this online teaching which was affecting their mental health. We had a meeting of experts from NIMHANS and educational experts. They said we had to decide about screen time. The committee will come out with guidelines. Till then online classes for LKG, UKG, primary classes have been stopped and no school should ask for extra fees under the guise of online classes,” Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said yesterday.

Discussions were also held on how to engage children during this period, with no clarity over the reopening of schools, news agency PTI quoted the minister as saying.

The committee has been constituted under the leadership of Professor M K Sridhar to prepare guidelines on how to engage students and increase their knowledge.

There has been pressure on the government to act, as parents have been complaining about online classes conducted by private schools even for kindergarten kids.

“Personally, my daughter has been enjoying her back to normalcy classes. She’s in 5th std. Since it’s online, school has also taken a lot of effort to make sessions interactive. This is a shame. I do understand the issues of jobs lost, salaries cut and some of the schools hiking fees, despite government directives, but I don’t think a proper evaluation of all parents/children’s point of view has been taken into consideration here,” said Seema Das whose daughter studies in 5th Class.

Schools and higher educational institutions in country are closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.