Karnataka: `Penalise, but don't close schools violating policy'

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Date:18/01/2007 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/18/stories/2007011813040400.htm
Karnataka - Bangalore

`Penalise, but don't close schools violating policy'

BANGALORE: The Parents Association and Unaided School Teachers'
Association have urged the State Government to drop the proposed
derecognition of 2,711 schools for their failure to use Kannada as medium
of instruction. Presidents of associations Mullahalli Suri and R.S. Shilpa
told reporters here on Wednesday that the decision would hit 10 lakh
children and thousands of teachers adversely. They demanded that schools
should be allowed to continue English as medium of instruction in the
larger interest of children, parents and teachers.

The Government might levy a fine and promulgate an ordinance to
"regularise" the violation of the language policy. Mr. Suri said the
intention of Minister for Primary and Secondary Education B.S. Horatti who
had suddenly woken up to the reality that the language policy was being
violated was questionable. "Is he expecting some inducement?" he asked
pointing out that the language policy was being violated for two decades.
He said the Government was aware of the violation of language policy all
these years. He contended that the Government could not jeopardise the
fate of lakhs of children all of a sudden now having been a mute witness
to violation all these years.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/18/stories/2007011813040400.htm
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