Kannada as medium of instruction: Govt plans to amend RTE Act

The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to take the legislation route to ensure Kannada or mother tongue as the medium of instruction in unaided primary schools from classes 1 to 5. 

The Supreme Court last year had upheld a Karnataka High court judgment striking down an executive order issued by the State government in 1994 imposing Kannada or mother tongue as medium of instruction in primary schools. The apex court had stated that the order infringed upon the right to freedom of expression and speech. 

The Supreme Court also rejected a revision petition filed by the Karnataka seeking review of its ruling. A curative petition filed by the government is yet to be heard by the apex court. 

Now, with the private school managements filing a contempt petition before the Supreme Court, for not implementing its order, the State government has decided to take the legislation route.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said that with education being on the concurrent list, the state government can bring amendments to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 ( a Central Act) popularly known as Right to Education Act, to restore the primacy of Kannada in primary education.

Sections 19 (7) and 29 (2) of the Act, which pertains to curriculum, would be amended to specifically state that Kannada or mother tongue should be the medium of instruction in schools, Jayachandra said. 

The amendments would be tabled in the legislature session scheduled to commence from February 2. The amendments would also help the State government in its arguments before the Supreme Court when the curative petition is taken up, the minister added.

National consensus

Jayachandra said that the State government was also trying to evolve a national consensus to ensure mother tongue as the medium of instruction in primary schools. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to his counterparts in other states in this regard.

In another decision, the Cabinet gave its approval for setting up an Higher Education Academy at Karnatak University at a cost of Rs 166 crore - to be released over the next five years.

The Cabinet meeting also decided to release the government’s share of Rs 38 crore for the teacher training programmes at District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).