THE Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all States to ensure that children who have become orphans or lost a parent during the COVID-19 pandemic since March last year are permitted to continue in the same school, be it private or Government, at least for the current academic year. The apex court, while hearing a suo motu matter on contagion of COVID-19 in children protection homes, said that in its June 7 order it had asked the States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that there is no break in the education of such children in both private and Government schools.

 

“At the cost of repetition, we direct the State Governments to ensure that the orphans are permitted to continue in the same schools at least for this academic year, be it private or government schools,” said a bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose. The top court passed the direction after advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae in the matter, raised concern regarding education of such children.