Children play on a waterlogged road after torrential rain in Bengaluru on Monday.
Credit: PTI photo
Bengaluru: Several private schools, mostly affiliated with CBSE and ICSE, conducted classes on Monday, despite the government's early morning declaration of a holiday due to incessant rains.
One of these schools is run by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's trust.
Parents who followed the government's holiday announcement and did not send their children to school found their wards marked absent.
"I was shocked to receive a message from the school at 11.40 am, saying my son was absent. I had decided not to send him to school after the government's holiday announcement. But the message said they were having regular classes," said a parent whose son attends Little Flower Public School in Banashankari 2nd Stage.
Another parent, whose children study at National Hill View Public School, run by DK Shivakumar's trust in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said they went to the school to enquire after receiving no communication. The authorities informed them there was no holiday.
"Those living nearby may not have a problem, but what about those staying farther away and relying on private transport? Who will be responsible if the vehicle gets stranded midway?" the parent asked.
Following directions from Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G, the Deputy Directors of Public Instructions (DDPI) of Bengaluru South and North have issued notices to non-compliant schools.
"We issued the order late because the alert came late, but it was the responsibility of all schools to follow it for the students' safety. Since we received complaints about private schools not adhering to the order, I’ve instructed the DDPIs to issue notices to these schools," said Jagadeesha.
In Bengaluru South, notices have already been issued to 15 schools, according to Ningarajappa KB, DDPI South. "So far, we have issued notices based on complaints from parents and the public, and the number may increase as we get more reports," he said. In North Bengaluru, the Education Department is also preparing a list of schools based on complaints received.
However, the delayed announcement by the district administration caused inconvenience to many parents. Children who left home around 7 am were already on their way when parents were informed to pick them up. Some schools have now directed parents to watch the news in the coming days for rain alerts and holiday announcements to make an informed decision.