The high court had in its earlier order questioned the circular, stating that the risk of the pandemic remained. Source: Pixabay
Physical attendance will not be compulsory for students enrolled in schools affiliated to the Gujarat state education board for the current academic year, the state government has told the Gujarat high court in reply to a public interest litigation (PIL).
A division bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri was hearing a PIL challenging a government circular that made it mandatory for all school students to attend physical classes.
According to the circular, which came into effect on February 15, there will be no online classes anymore amid the declining cases of COVID-19.
"Attendance is not mandatory for the purpose of examination. In that view, each parent can take a call. Attendance is not mandatory, and schools would not be taking any exception to this," government pleader Manisha Lavkumar Shah told the court on March 30.
The court took her submission on record, saying, "attendance for physical appearance in the school for the academic year 2021-2022 would not be compulsory and it is left to the discretion of the respective schools and the parents."
The petitioner had contended that making in-person attendance mandatory may pose health risks to students as the pandemic was not yet gone. The Gujarat government has, however, stuck to its stand of not conducting online classes, but done away with the attendance mandate at schools.