Bengaluru school shifts online as 500 students fall ill; officials reject vendor blame

Clarence High School in Bengaluru has partially shifted to online classes after over 500 students and 21 staff members reported flu-like symptoms. The school management initially linked the outbreak to street vendors operating near the campus, but health officials have dismissed this claim, pointing to a seasonal, contagious infection instead.

The school, located in Richards Town, Bengaluru, remains closed from August 14 to 18. Montessori classes are still suspended, while students in Classes 1 to 5 resumed offline classes on August 18. Classes for Students in Classes 6 to 10 continue online, according to a school administration representative.

In a letter to civic authorities, Commodore Prem Reuben, Administrator of Clarence High School, described a “severe outbreak of seasonal flu-like illnesses.” He noted that more than 500 students — about 20% of the 2,500-strong student body — and 21 staff members were absent due to fever, cold, cough, and body ache. The letter also mentioned two confirmed H1N1 cases among staff members, with one staff member undergoing treatment at Bangalore Baptist Hospital.

Reuben's letter specifically blamed the “unhygienic” surroundings of the school, stating that the area around the campus is “inevitably left dirty and unhygienic, contributing to the spread of illness and disease.” This was seen as an indirect accusation against street food vendors operating near the school.

However, Dr. Siddapaji Gowda, Health Officer for Bengaluru North, rejected any connection between street vendors and the student illnesses. “There is no link between street vendors selling food and hundreds of children falling sick in Clarence School,” he said. “It is not an outbreak, but a common cold that is contagious, airborne and spreads from one person to another. It is not because of the food outside.”

Dr. Gowda added that only two students were detected with H1N1, and the infection likely spread undetected earlier within the school environment. As part of the “Safe Footpath” campaign, the civic body plans to remove street vendors from footpaths and enforce a ban on junk food sales within a 50-metre radius of schools, though this is a general precautionary measure.

Gurudatta Hegde, Commissioner of the Health and Family Welfare Department, offered further reassurance. “Two staff members have tested positive for H1N1 in Clarence school. They are in the recovery stage now. There is no outbreak in the school among children. We learnt that nearly 500 students were absent, mainly due to panic. No child has tested positive for H1N1,” he said.

Hegde confirmed that around 500 H1N1 cases have been detected statewide in August 2025, similar to the same period last year. The symptoms are consistent with the common cold, and there is no need for panic, he said, urging affected individuals to approach primary health centres for testing and treatment.

The health department has instructed officials to proactively test any symptomatic child in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits. The school administration remains cautious, with online classes continuing for older students as a precautionary measure.