Government employees will soon be asked to adopt state-run schools under a new programme that is awaiting Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s approval.
The Department of School Education & Literacy has proposed an ‘Academic Adoption’ programme that mainly aims at the academic development of government schools.
Officials told DH that the new programme has nothing to do with fundraising. “For infrastructure development, we have Nanna Shaale, Nanna Koduge (My School, My Contribution). The Academic Adoption programme is meant for the improvement of the academic atmosphere,” a senior official explained.
Under the proposed programme, officials across all government departments will be instructed to adopt a state-run school and visit it at least once a month.
“In the school education and literacy department, it will be made mandatory for officers up to the level of block education officer (BEO) to adopt a school. In other departments, it will be applicable to Grade A and B officers,” the official added.
The department has finalised guidelines and the file is before Bommai for approval. “As the programme involves officials from the different departments, it has to be approved by the chief minister,” the official mentioned.
Although there are no fundraising or financial issues involved in the programme, any official willing to donate or contribute towards infrastructure development will be free to do so.
Under the programme, those adopting the school will be expected to arrange for students’ motivational speeches, give them exposure to resource persons, training for teachers, identify the needs of the school and update the department among other such things.
Karnataka has 76,905 schools imparting formal education for classes 1 to 12. Of them, 49,791 are government schools, according to official data. There are 7,182 government-aided schools and 19,915 private recognised schools.
In 2015, the state government launched the Shaalege Banni Shanivara (Come to School on Saturday) programme that was also aimed at improving academics at government schools. It involved citizens volunteering to teach every Saturday in an attempt to push community participation in government schools that are otherwise reeling under shortage of infrastructure and teachers.