Private schools in Karnataka are unsure if and when classes 1 to 5 will reopen to order books. With the pandemic, schools are unable to have constant communication with parents and students to know whether or not they intend to continue in the same school.
"Nearly 20 per cent of students have taken Transfer Certificates, another 20 percent have not responded about next year's admission. With uncertainty over how many students will re-enroll, how are we to place the indent? The government should wait till schools start," said Gayatri Devi, administrator, Supraja Gurukula English Medium School, Kodagu. "Admissions have not completed, yet officials harass us to raise the indent," said Riyaz S K, administrator, Jawar School, Ballari.
Classes 1 to 5 are yet to reopen and that has put schools in further ambiguity over the next academic year. Administrators say they do not know if online classes for younger grades will continue next year too -- in which case, parents will hesitate to buy textbooks. "We already have a surplus of unsold books from last year. We do not know about the number of TCs and new admissions for the next year to place the order. The entire amount has to be paid for the indent when purchasing books, and parents are not buying," said Karnataka Associated Managements of English Medium Schools general secretary Shashi Kumar.
Even after setting a deadline of March 12 for raising indents, the education department did not receive a proper response from schools. Madegowda, Managing Director, KTBS, then instructed local education officers to act. A new deadline of March 19 has been set.
