Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri has said that his department will document schools that have completed 100 years of existence.
Speaking after opening the new building of the century-old government Urdu Higher Primary School (No. 3) located at Kantigalli here on Monday, he said that the district- and block-level officials of the Department of Public Instructions (DPI) had been told to identify schools which had completed 100 years. The DPI would bring out a booklet and CD, containing the history of these schools.
The Minister said that the DPI had taken this decision because the century-old schools in Karnataka had been opened by persons who had a genuine concern for the uplift of society. At that time, the country was under colonial rule and was also hit by poverty. It was not an easy task to start a school during those difficult times.
The present-day generation and children should know about those who worked hard to establish such educational institutions, he said.
Mr. Kageri said the government would take the responsibility of introducing such schools and the persons behind them to society. The government was also committed to providing aid and infrastructure to such schools on priority. Officials had been asked to conduct a survey at district- and taluk-levels, to trace such schools and collect information about their history.
Special concern
Mr. Kageri said that the government had shown special concern towards the Education Department, and allotted Rs. 12,500 crore in the budget. A large chunk of it would be used to improve school infrastructure and set up new schools.
The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation had allotted nine guntas of land for the Urdu Higher Primary School and the government has sanctioned Rs. 25 lakh for the building, he said.
He asked parents of students belonging to the minority community to send their wards, particularly girls, to schools. In this highly competitive era, everyone should gain higher education which would benefit their careers, he said.
Hazarat Syed Shah Murtuja Hussaini and Mallikarjun Swami of Murugha Math were present. Seema Masuti, Dharwad Rural MLA, presided over the programme.
