Karnataka - Bangalore   

Horatti firm on decision, crucial meeting today

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti is firm on his decision "as of today" to denotify schools that have violated the language policy. He denied reports that he had differences with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on the issue and said "a clear picture will emerge by Saturday evening."

A crucial meeting of Education Department officials on Saturday will take stock of the situation arising out of the Government's decision to shut down schools in the middle of the academic year. Another meeting is planned later in the day with Kannada writers and activists to discuss the issue.

Move welcomed

A section of Kannada writers and activists have endorsed the Government's action, with some reservations on the timing of the order, and the absence of a well-thought-out language policy framework.

Calling it a "bold decision," Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairperson Siddalingaiah said such an action was long overdue. "The managements have cheated both the Government and the parents. It is gross commercialisation of education," he said. "I agree, though, that officials are responsible for allowing this to go on since 1994." The Government should work towards a uniform policy on language, he said.

Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Chandrashekar Patil also supported the Government's move and urged the Minister not to buckle under pressure and withdraw the order. The Government should work towards ensuring that Kannada is taught even in schools that teach the CBSE and ICSC syllabus, he added.

Former KDA chairperson Baragur Ramachandrappa, while approving the move, said it should be done in a manner that would not harm the interests of lakhs of students. He said he was not opposed to teaching English "as a language" and, in fact, had come up with a proposal to introduce it in government schools at the primary level while he was KDA chairperson.

`Schools flouted norms'

Commissioner of Public Instruction M. Madan Gopal said that while the Government's move had been criticised, there was silence on the school managements flouting norms on admission dates, donations and service rules "with impunity." While acknowledging that there had been lapses by Block Education Officers over the years, he said parents should be suing school managements for criminal offences for cheating, breach of trust and misrepresentation of facts. Mr. Gopal wondered why there had not been any protest when schools were closed across North Karnataka last month on the same grounds.

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