Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj  Horatti has conceded that injustice has been done to backward Gulbarga region in sanctioning new high schools and junior colleges for the year 2007-08 and has promised to set right it in the second list of schools and colleges which will be issued shortly.

Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, Horatti said some undue preferential treatment has been given while sanctioning new educational institutions as it cannot be avoided.

He was referring to the complaint of Hassan district getting maximum benefit in the sanction new schools and colleges.

He pointed out that last year Gulbarga region has been its due share by sanctioning 99 high schools and 36 junior colleges. However, this year only 34 high schools and 16 junior colleges have been sanctioned. “We have plans to open 315 new high schools and about 100 PU colleges and the second list will be issued soon. We will give due share to Gulbarga region to undo the injustice’’ Horatti promised.

English medium
The minister said the teaching of English as a language right from the first standard has been going on excellently and there was enthusiastic response from all quarters in the state. There was no complaint whatsoever in this regard and no impediment in implementing the new policy, he added.

When his attention was drawn to the practice of some of the schools still carrying instructions in English medium even after obtaining permission for Kannada medium, Horatti said in Dakshina Kannada  a DDPI and a BEO have been suspended for not monitoring the schools which have been clandestinely teaching in English medium. He said vigilant squads have been asked to make surprise visits to such schools and take immediate action if they came across the violation of permission.

Semester system
Horatti denied that the government lacked consistency in policy decisions as it has suddenly changed from trimester system to semester system in schools from the current academic year.

He said after a thorough consideration of all aspects the tremester system has been dropped paving for the semester. He noted that there was hardly any scope for students for other activities in the tremester system and it had become a burden both for students and teachers. The experts too opined that trimeseter system was not advisable.“There is no question of changing the system once again. The semester system will stay’’.