Goa govt withdraws circular making parents' consent mandatory for students to attend offline classes

PANAJI: The Goa government on Tuesday withdrew a circular making parents' consent mandatory for children to attend classes in the offline mode. In a new circular issued during the day, state education director Bhushan Savaikar requested heads of government, government-aided, unaided pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher secondary and special schools to not insist on parents' consent for students to physically attend classes.

The new circular has come days after parents raised objections to the consent forms, which institutions were getting signed from them. All educational institutions have begun physical classes from last week after the number of COVID-19 cases dropped drastically in the coastal state. Savaikar said that the circular withdrawing the requirement of consent from parents has been issued with the approval of the competent authority.

Also read | 90% Indians who study medicine abroad fail to clear NEET: Union Minister

Goa on Monday reported 18 new cases of coronavirus that took the tally of infections to 2,45,019, leaving the state with 271 active cases.

Schools in Goa reopened for all classes on February 21 with most of the schools reporting good attendance in the morning, state education director Bhushan Savaikar told PTI. The educational institutions have been asked to strictly follow the standard operating procedures and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, he said.

Also read | INAE Young Engineer Awards 2022: Winners to receive Rs 1 lakh cash prize, know eligibility