Gujarat High Court.

Ahmedabad:

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday questioned the state government's insistence on 100 per cent attendance in schools for students despite the continuing risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A division bench of Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Kumar said that as far as school attendance is concerned, the government should leave it to the discretion of the parents.

The bench was hearing a PIL challenging the Gujarat government's February 18 circular that made it mandatory for all students to attend classes in schools in person.

The government had also ordered all schools to stop online classes and make offline (direct) attendance mandatory.

The PIL states that all children below the age of 15 years have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and insisting on 100 per cent attendance would put them at risk.

The bench said, "Why do you want to insist on 100 per cent attendance?

Leave it to the discretion of the parents."


Chief Justice Kumar referred to a news report earlier this month about the detection of recombinant viruses of Omicron and Delta form in six states.

Gujarat was also one of these states.

The Chief Justice said, “Why do you want to take the risk?

Leave it to the discretion of the parents."