[Lgpolicy-list] [lg policy] Karnataka: 2, 000 schools plan to be English medium

[Harold Schiffman]

2,000 schools plan to be English medium
Shruthi H M, Bengaluru, Nov 30, 2014, DHNS :
 [image: Sunday's emergency meeting was called following an interim High
Court order on November 28 directing the State government to accept
applications for registration till December 5. DH file photo]


*More than 2,000 schools across the State plan to apply for English-medium
registration this year, but the government is yet to take a decision on its
language policy. *
At an emergency meeting of the Associated Managements of English Medium
Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) on Sunday, member institutions decided to
submit applications for English-medium authorisation. The association has
about 400 schools under it.

Further, there are about 800 schools under the Karnataka Federation for
Independent Schools Management, which will also apply for authorisation.Â

The Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association (KUSMA), which has
more than 1,400 schools under its ambit, has already submitted applications
for English-medium registration.Â

Sunday's emergency meeting was called following an interim High Court order
on November 28 directing the State government to accept applications for
registration till December 5.Â

As per the original schedule of the Department of Public Instructions
(DPI), the last date for application (for permissions for 2015-16) was
October 31. However, the DPI issued a circular on November 11 conveying a
revision in registration fees for schools.Â

The KAMS had challenged this circular on two grounds: First, it made no
mention of registration for English-medium for classes I-V and, secondly,
it spoke of additional infrastructure, which the schools found impractical.

The interim order directs the government not to insist upon other
requirements (infrastructure) in the notification and to accept
applications of schools as per the requisite fee (based on the November 11
notification).Â

Speaking to Deccan Herald, KAMS secretary Shashi Kumar said, “Since our
prayer was also to do with the medium of instruction, we can now resubmit
applications for English medium by paying the fees (specified for classes
I-V, Kannada medium) mentioned in the notification.”Â

School managements have also drawn strength to ask for English-medium
registration from the May 2014 Supreme Court verdict. The court had held
that the government could not impose Kannada as a medium of instruction on
schools in the State.Â

The apex court had asked the government not to close down English-medium
schools in 2009 as well.Â

Besides, “Schools under KUSMA have been conducting English-medium classes
based on a protective order from the High Court (in July 2009). This being
the case, the schools have now only sought to officially register for
English medium,” said K V Dhananjaya, advocate for KUSMA.Â

Kumar had written to the DPI in September asking them to uphold the Supreme
Court verdict and consider permitting English-medium schools, but there was
no response from the government.Â

The fate of these applications rests on the State government's decision on
the language policy, said Commissioner for Public Instruction Mohammed
Mohsin. “I cannot comment on the status of the applications as it
pertains to a language policy and the State government has to take a call
on it,” he said.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/444877/2000-schools-plan-english-medium.html


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