Chairman of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy Umanath Kotian said here on Wednesday that there has been a mixed reaction in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi for teaching Tulu in schools.
Mr. Kotian told presspersons that while the response was good in Dakshina Kannada, it was average in Udupi. He said that around 150 schools would be teaching the subject this academic year in Udupi. There has been no demand from Udupi for Tulu textbooks for class 8, where it had been introduced as the third language from this academic year. There was a demand for 3,000 Tulu textbooks each for classes 6 and 7 respectively from Udupi this year, he said. “There has been less patronage to teach Tulu in Udupi,” Mr. Kotian said. Around 150 aided and government schools were teaching Tulu in Udupi, he added.
As many as 800 government and aided schools were teaching tulu in Dakshina Kannada. There was a demand for 13,000 textbooks for class 6 and 14,000 for class 7 this academic year. There was a demand for 4,800 textbooks for class 8, he said.
Mr. Kotian said that there had not been any shortage of teachers for Tulu.
“At some schools, there were less students compared to teachers.” Mr. Kotian said that he had held discussions with all the headmasters of the schools in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. He said that the academy was ready to arrange for Tulu teachers on an honorary basis to schools where there were no teachers for the subject. “So far, nobody has approached the academy,” he said. These teachers would be sourced from the local social organisations, he added.
Films
Mr. Kotian expressed his unhappiness over the simultaneous release of two Tulu films, Bangarda Kural (April 27) and Aamet Asal Eemet Kusal (May 4). “This should not have happened. The Academy could only advice, but could not say much regarding the release of films.”
However, Mr. Kotian said there should be quality in the films that were released. “They should give films that could be watched by people. Oriyardori Asal was a hit among people,” he said.
