Bangalore: Schools get one more day to file affidavits

[Harold Schiffman]

Date:10/07/2007 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/10/stories/2007071057660600.htm
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Karnataka - Bangalore
Schools get one more day to file affidavits

Staff Reporter

Since there was no court on Monday, all the cases were posted for Tuesday

BANGALORE: More than 60 schools that were to have filed affidavits
before the Karnataka High Court on Monday undertaking to teach in
Kannada or the medium of instruction in which they have been granted
recognition have got a day more to file the affidavit. Since there was
no court on Monday, all the cases, including those relating to the
filing of affidavits have been posted for Tuesday. These institutions
had earlier filed affidavits before a single judge who rejected them
as they did not confirm to the High Court order. These schools had
then sought for more time to file affidavits undertaking to teach in
the medium of instruction in which they had been granted recognition.
The cases of these primary schools had been listed for Monday. They
have now been posted to Tuesday.

KUSMA advisory

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association
(KUSMA) has asked its members to file affidavits before the High Court
on or before July 16. KUSMA advocate G.R. Mohan told The Hindu on
Monday that of the 1,014 members, 374 would not be filing any
affidavits as they had been started before 1994 when the language
policy came into existence. He said the State had not permit ted the
starting of any primary school in English after 1994.

He said 121 members had already filed affidavits as per the High Court
order. The rest of the members, numbering nearly 600, would have to
file affidavits by July 18 as per the High Court order. However, he
said the schools would not wait till July 18 as they did not want to
take any risk of disobeying the High Court order. Mr. Mohan said there
was still some confusion in KUSMA about the actual number of
institutions supposed to file affidavits as some of its members have
already opted for the voluntary scheme. He said several members
running ICSE and CBSE classes had opted for the scheme and also paid
the penalty.

Members of two other organisations, Karnataka Schools Federation and
Karnataka Unaided Minorities Schools Association (KUMSA) have also
indicated that they too would be filing affidavits.  The federation,
it is learnt, has decided to approach the Government and request it to
review its policy on the medium of instruction. The State Government
is unlikely to change its stand or policy on the medium of instruction
being imparted by primary schools. This means that the schools would
have to compulsorily teach in Kannada from this year.

Official sources said with the High Court refusing to entertain any
plea of these schools to permit them from teaching in English this
year, officers of the Education Department have been asked to ensure
that the schools do not once again violate the norms. They said there
is no question of entertaining any plea by any organisation against
the relaxation of the policy on medium of instruction.

Education Act

Mr. Mohan indicated that KUSMA would oppose several provisions of the
Education Act which is currently under challenge before the Supreme
Court. It claims that action on primary schools now being initiated by
the Government and the threat of derecognition if they do not opt for
the voluntary scheme are contrary to the provisions of the Act. He
claimed that the Government had discussions with office-bearers of
KUSMA on several aspects of primary education, including medium of
instruction, at a meeting held some time ago. However, nothing had
come out of it and the Government had acted in an arbitrary and
draconian manner against these schools.





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