Kannada schools in TN have no books

Teachers translate Tamil textbooks into Kannada; photocopies supplied to students

Shortage of textbooks and teachers is causing great inconvenience to students of the Kannada medium schools and colleges in Talavadi firqa (revenue division) in Tamil Nadu, bordering Karnataka.

Talavadi firqa, with a majority of Kannada-speaking population, has 28 Kannada medium primary schools, nine middle schools, three high schools and two pre-university colleges.
Together, they account for over 1,700 students and the Tamil Nadu government is
responsible for supplying textbooks, both for Kannada and Tamil medium students.

However, only Tamil medium textbooks have been supplied till now.

The Kannada medium students of the colleges are compelled to study their lessons with photocopies of the textbooks.

The situation was no different last year. While the textbooks were not supplied in time for students of first to tenth standards, the pre-university books were not at all supplied.

The lecturers conducted the classes by translating the Tamil textbooks into Kannada. The photocopies of the translated textbooks were supplied to the students.

“The books have not been supplied this year too. Hence, we are giving used copies of the photocopied textbooks to students of Kannada medium,” said Channanjamurthy, the secretary of Talavadi unit of Tamil Nadu Primary Teachers’ Association.

Shortage of teachers

All the middle schools in Talavadi firqa are upgraded schools and according to the norms of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, graduate assistant teachers should be appointed to such schools.

However, the Tamil Nadu government has not taken any steps to fill up 17 teachers’ vacancies in these schools over the past nine years. Parents say that there were no teachers proportionate to the students’ strength and even the teachers serving now were deputed.

Vacant posts

Channanjamurthy said the post of a Kannada lecturer in the government pre-university college, Talavadi, had not been filled for the past seven years.

First grade colleges has not been established in this part of the State and hence the students of Kannada medium are forced to cut short their study at the pre-university level.

“Parents are therefore admitting their children to Tamil medium schools from the primary level. The Kannada medium schools may face closure if the situation continues,” he apprehended.