After introducing Tulu in classes 6 to 10 as the third optional language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy has now written to the State government to introduce the language at the pre-university level.
Following to a letter on this from M. Janaki Brahmavar, president of the academy, Tanveer Sait, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, wrote to the Principal Secretary of the department on July 22 to look into the possibility.
Ms. Brahmavar, in her July 20 letter to the Minister, had requested that the government permit introducing Tulu at the pre-university from the academic year 2017-18. Earlier, the government, in its order dated March 26, 2010, had allowed Tulu to be taught in schools in the two districts.
Ms. Brahmavar said that in 2016-17, as many as 956 students studied Tulu from Class I to 10 in 20 schools in the two districts. Of them, 313 students are with the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Board.
According to Ms. Brahmavar, the academy sponsoring the salary of teachers teaching Tulu has prompted more schools to take interest in teaching the language as in 2015-16, only 267 students studied Tulu in eight schools. The academy gave Rs. 3,000 to every teacher per month for teaching the language.
The academy has reserved a budget of Rs. 7 lakh for paying salary in the current financial year. It paid Rs. 3.5 lakh in the last financial year.
B. Chandrahasa Rai, registrar of the academy, said Sujanya of Pragati English-Medium School, Kaniyoor, Puttur taluk, had scored 100 per cent marks in her Tulu third optional paper in the final SSLC examination in 2015-16. Three others scored 99 marks. He said that of the 20 schools teaching Tulu in the current academic year, 12 are in Puttur taluk. Udupi district has only one school. All 25 Tulu students who appeared for the SSLC exam last academic year passed.
