40 foreign students in residential school in Dharamsala quarantined

Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, March 17

Forty students from various European countries have been quarantined on the campus of International Sahaja Public School at Naddi village near Dharamsala, amid coronavirus scare.

The batch of 40 students returned from their native countries after their winter vacation about a week ago.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said the district administration met the school authorities on Monday and asked them to ensure that the students remain in self-isolation on the campus.

“None of the students have symptoms of coronavirus infection but we have directed the school authorities to ensure that the children should not leave the campus,” he said.

Another batch of 100 students, who were still to arrive have been asked to stay back till the situation becomes normal, Prajapati said.

The school has children from 38 countries besides India in classes 1 to 12. The residential school, affiliated with the Council for the Indian Certificate School Examinations (ICSE), was started in 1990. It has its own medical unit with a full-time doctor and nursing staff.

The school term begins in the third week of March and ends in the second half of December.

Some Indian parents complained to the deputy commissioner that the school was conducting classes in violation of the government’s direction, putting the health of their wards at risk.

The state government has closed all private and government educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Prajapati said he has sent a team, comprising police and health officials, to the school to check if the authorities are violating the advisory.

“If the school is found conducting classes, it will be stopped,” he assured the parents.

When contacted, International Sahaja Public School director Ritesh Manake denied the charge of the parents and said:  “We have suspended classes and new registrations have also been put off till April 13. The parents have been informed. We are delaying the session,” he said.