When Public Places Can Reopen, No Reason Why Schools Should Remain Shut: Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Physical Functioning Of Schools

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking reopening of Schools. The petitioner, student of class XII, seeks relief particularly on the ground of indecision and vacillation on the part of Union Government and the various State Governments, including NCT of Delhi. It is submitted that when public places can re-open for the people who may or may not be vaccinated, it calls for serious consideration as to why educational institutions and schools have been left closed.

“the instant writ petition seeks to echo the sentiments and feelings of the student community and fraternity of the country, particularly, the underprivileged and voiceless children, in raising the very vital issue regarding the deprivation and ill-effects, both psychological and actual, of school children being kept away from attending their schools physically and being imparted their lessons in school classrooms,” the plea states.

The petitioner produces a tabular chart of all the States with dates, as to reopening of Schools. No decision has been taken yet with respect to the States/UTs of Ladakh, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andaman, West Bengal, Telangana, Tripura, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Kerala, Goa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Central Schools/KVs.

“It is also relevant to state that many students in rural areas and even urban areas do not have access to mobile phones/electronic devices to attend online classes and in some cases even the school does not have the appropriate mechanism to conduct online classes,” the plea adds.

Reliance is placed on the WHO report titled, “Considerations for School-related Public Health Measures in the context of COVOID-19”

Petitioner seeks for hybrid mode of schooling in States which have decided to re-open education institutions – with option of online and offline education.

Prayer has been sought to direct respondents to take a time bound decision with respect to physical opening of Schools.

Petition Drawn and Filed by Adv. Ravi Prakash Mehrotra.

Case Title: Amar Prem Prakash v. Union of India