[Lgpolicy-list] [lg policy] Karnataka: Over 6000 English-medium schools were set up during 20-year ban

[Harold Schiffman]

Over 6K English-medium schools were set up during 20-year ban
A

Bengaluru: In 1994, when the language policy was brought into effect, there
were around 300 private English-medium schools in Karnataka. Despite the
ban on such schools over the next 20 years, they mushroomed to a whopping
6,302. Today, there are around 5,893 unaided English-medium lower primary
schools, most of which are unauthorized. They have to apply and register
themselves as English medium by December 5 with a fee of Rs 35,000. The
recent high court order allowing Modern English School to start an
English-medium school in the state after over 20 years has triggered quite
a turn of events. The education department says it doesn't have enough
information about the number of English schools in Karnataka before 1994.
The Karnataka Unaided School Managements' Association (Kusma), the largest
association of school in Karnataka, claims the number of schools could have
been around 300. "Kusma was formed in 1982. Then, there were 300
English-medium schools. The number of such schools didn't go up much after
the government initially accepted the recommendation not to allow
English-medium schools," explained Sathya Murthy, joint secretary, Kusma.

Today, there are 6,302 English-medium schools with classes 1 to 7. In this,
373 are under the education department and 5,893 are unaided schools. There
are 51,518 Kannada-medium schools. There are 8.39 lakh students in these
English schools, according to the education department.

This means that schools which were started without government permission
have to apply for registration as English-medium schools. "We have advised
all our members to file the application before December 5 with the fee,"
said Shashi Kumar, secretary, Associated Managements of English Medium
School in Karnataka (Kams). Kusma is holding a meeting on December 8 of
members across the state to decide whether to proceed with a contempt of
court case against the government for not heeding the Supreme Court order.
In 1980, a committee under VK Gokak, former vice-chancellor of Karnatak
University and a Jnanpith Award winner, recommended Kannada as the medium
of instruction in schools. Following a widespread movement which came to be
known as the Gokak agitation, the government accepted the recommendation in
1982. After several debates and court rulings, in 1994, the government
introduced the language policy, replacing all previous orders. In 2008, a
high court order stated that the state cannot restrict parents from
choosing medium of instruction. The government approached the apex court.
In May 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of parents.
Officialspeak

The minister has called for a meeting with literary giants on December 4.
It's a policy matter and the government will decide how to take it forward.
Meanwhile, schools have to apply before December 5 to register as
English-medium schools.

Mohammed Mohsin | commissioner for public instruction

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Over-6K-English-medium-schools-were-set-up-during-20-year-ban/articleshow/45340676.cms


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