The government seems undecided on taking action against some schools that have been producing zero percent results in SSLC examinations in the district in the last few years.
Bidar’s dismal performance in the SSLC examination has been a matter of discussion at the state level. Just 27 per cent students passed in 2007. It has gradually increased to 75 per cent this year. Over 20 schools produced zero results nine years ago. Now, their number is five. Kalaburgi tops the list with 11 zero result schools, and Bidar and Chitradurga are second with five schools each.
District in-charge ministers, zilla panchayat presidents, and officials have been promising that these schools will be shut and action will be initiated against them. However, not one school has faced any action till now.
This year, none of the students passed from Pallavi High School and Noor High School of Bidar and Sriguru Siddharaj High School and Mahatma Gandhi High School of Pratapur in Basava Kalyan and Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj High School of Aurad.
Mahatma Gandhi school of Pratapur in Basava Kalyan had scored zero in last year’s results too. Other such schools were Deenadham Keshav High School in Tripurant, Basava Kalyan, Jaidurga Mata High School in Chikli-U of Aurad, Sri Sharanabasaveshwar High School and Srimati Jagadevitayi High School in Yenkur in Bhalki taluk, and Little Flower High School in Yakatpur in Bidar taluk.
Mahatma Gandhi school of Pratapur and Deenadham Keshav high school in Tripurant in Basava Kalyan, apart from four others, had scored zero in 2014 results.
Education Department officials say the State government never asked them to act against these schools. "In 2010, the then Education Minister announced in the State Assembly that schools with zero pass percent would be closed and those with low performance would face gradual cuts in grants. But the government issued an order saying such schools would be given two years to improve their performance. We were helpless," said a senior officer.
"Last year, the government said permits of such schools would be renewed for one year. This year, we are yet to receive any clear instructions on the issue,’’ N. Chandre Gowda, deputy director of instruction said. "We are watching the performance of schools closely. We will continue the process of training teachers and students of all schools," says Shivakumar Swamy, district education officer.
Some concerned citizens, however, say the district administration and the zilla panchayat should do their bit to discipline or reform such schools. It is wrong to blame the state government for everything. "The local bodies can not absolve itself of its duties to discipline or reform such schools," advocate and labour leader Baburao Honna said.
