The Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed a discussion on the state of affairs of education, with farmers’ leader K.S. Puttannaiah and the former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar unveiling both rural and urban pictures in their own style.
Topics such as problems affecting the field education from primary level to university level, the need of common school system, humanities losing importance at a time when the focus is on professional education, and universities losing their credibility because of alleged flaw in the appointment of vice-chancellors, were debated with the participation of members cutting across party lines.
Mr. Puttannaiah and Mr. Kumar stole the show with their oratory skills. While Mr. Puttannaiah raised pertinent questions in his inimitable style, Mr. Kumar attacked both the system and the government through his threadbare analysis of the flaws in the system.
Common school system Focusing his argument on common school system, Mr. Puttannaiah described the present system as “a unit producing doctors and engineers”, who, he alleged, were availing of government benefits but refusing to work for people. He criticised the government for not providing basic amenities in schools, especially playgrounds. He was also critical of the undue importance being given to cricket at the cost of other games.
Mr. Kumar as usual did not mince words while taking the government to task for not controlling private educational institutions, which, according to him, created “a gap between the rich and the poor”.
He also spoke about tuition menace and the factors that were playing a role in the appointment of vice-chancellors and Syndicate members of universities. Describing deemed universities as “sales depots of degree certificates”, he stressed the need to regulate them.
