Karnataka opposes examination reforms

Kageri hails common syllabus for maths, science

The state said it would oppose any proposal to set up a single examination authority for the entire country. “We oppose such a proposal. We are also not in favour of removing the Class X board examinations,” Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Primary and Secondary Education Minister of Karnataka, told a Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meeting here.

Referring to Tamil Nadu, which had decided to merge all the four state boards into one, Kageri said Karnataka would not follow suit. “Karnataka has two boards and there is no question of merging them into one,” he told Deccan Herald.

Kageri maintained that Karnataka has introduced a number of reforms in the Class X board examination. Hence, doing away with the examination system would create a lack of seriousness in the education system. However, he welcomed the idea of having a single common syllabus for teaching mathematics and science subjects for the benefit of students who wanted to opt for professional courses.

Sibal’s praise
Karnataka got a pat on the back from Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal. He said the State was one of the three in the country which had enhanced investment in education in terms of GDP. “All other states have reduced their share of financial burden, but Karnataka has increased it,” Sibal said. Responding to the HRD minister’s proposal to make a provision for Rs 60,000 crore for implementing the Right to Education Bill, Kageri said Karnataka would oppose any such proposal to increase the state’s share in financing education. “We do not have any other source of funding and just cannot increase our share. We welcome the Bill, but the Centre has to provide the resources,” Kageri said. He also said the Right to Education Bill had strong tendencies to centralise policies and planning, which should ideally be left to the states.

“We are opposed to such centralising tendencies. Requirements are different in different states. Even some districts of Karnataka are more backward than others. How can a centralised plan work here,” he asked. “Even in the case of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, the Centre should restrict itself to give the states some broad guidelines and the states should be given the freedom to fix priorities,” he said.