Minister for Higher Education Dakshina Kannada in-charge Minister C.T. Ravi said here on Thursday that the State government would not immediately close down schools with less than 10 students.
Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of the Kannada Rajyotsava function at Nehru Maidan, he said that R. Govinda Committee Report had recommended to the State government to close down some government Kannada-medium schools not for administrative reasons but for lack of students in those schools. The government had only received the report and had not taken any decision on its recommendations.
The Minister said that although there were students in the jurisdiction of many Kannada-medium schools, they opted to study in English-medium schools which were far away from their residences.
Earlier, delivering the Rajyotsava speech, the Minister said that Kannada was under threat because Kannadigas lacked a sense of pride for their language.
Highlighting the need for mutual respect among speakers of different languages, Mr. Ravi said that Tamil-speaking people should be able to understand the essence of “vachanas” of Sarvajna and Kannadigas should be able to grasp the values of compositions of Thiruvalluvar. Referring to development works, the Minister said that a 3D planetarium being constructed at Pilikula at an estimated cost of Rs. 24.5 crore would be completed at the earliest.
The Minister felicitated eight children for their achievements in different fields. Each of them was given a purse of Rs. 10,000 and a certificate. The award-winners are: Laxmi Prasad K. Achar and Manvitha M.K. (both arts) of Sudana Residential School, Puttur, and Vishwamangala High School, Konaje; K. Akhila and Goutami C.S. (culture) of Vivekananda High School, Tenkila; and Carmel English Primary School, Pandeshwar; Celia C. and Surein M.U. (sports) of Bejai and Canara High School, Urwa; and Karthik Bhat and Sridevi (education) of Ramakrishna High School, Puttur; and Government Primary School, Kanyana.
