Gujarat board students don't need to attend physical classes

Gujarat board students do not need to attend physical classes this academic year as attendance is not mandatory.

The Gujarat government informed the High Court on Wednesday that for the current academic year, physical presence will not be required for pupils attending schools connected with the state education board.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri was hearing a petition challenging a government circular mandating physical education sessions for all school kids.

The circular, which went into effect on February 15, stated that due to the declining Covid-19 epidemic condition, there would be no further online classes.

In a previous order, the High Court questioned the circular, finding that the risk of the pandemic remained.

"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 Wednesday.

The court said that "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 decision won't be applicable to CBSE or ICSE schools, it said.

According to a notification issued on the basis of central government communication, online classes will no longer be offered, according to the government pleader. According to the court, it wouldn't go into that issue.