The Karnataka Unaided Schools Management’s Association (KUSMA) has decided to urge the Department of Primary and Secondary Education to update its records and ensure that all those who applied for running English-medium schools get recognition. The decision follows the Supreme Court terming unconstitutional the imposition of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in primary classes in aided or unaided private schools.
On the sidelines of a press conference here on Wednesday, K.V. Dhananjay, advocate for KUSMA, said the association would request the government to update its records on over 1,000 schools across the State. “Several institutions running English-medium schools have been recognised as Kannada-medium schools by the department. KUSMA had urged the government in 2008 to update its records, but the State did not take any steps as the case was pending before the Supreme Court,” he said.
Mr. Dhananjay said KUSMA, which has 1,800 members, would urge the department again to update its records. “If they do not update, we can file a contempt petition against the government,” he said.
As per the Education Department’s records, there are only 422 English-medium lower primary schools across the State. However, both department officials and KUSMA have conceded that the figure is actually in thousands.
V.R.N. Reddy, president of KUSMA, said the member schools were already teaching Kannada as a compulsory subject from Class 1. “We have passed a resolution to ensure that all our member schools teach Kannada as knowing the State language is important. English will not be imparted at the cost of Kannada,” he said, and added that the medium of instruction, however, would be English.
He also said that all the member schools — whether affiliated to the State board, CBSE or ICSE — would be persuaded to teach Kannada as a language from Class 1. “For students who come from other States, schools will make provision for additional coaching so that they can learn Kannada,” he said.
Mr. Dhananjay said that the government could consider making Kannada a compulsory language in schools.
Mr. Reddy also said that each member school would be requested to stock its library with past and contemporary literary works of Kannada.
