Closure of kindergarten classes in govt schools sans permission ordered

Kannada Development Authority chairman S G Siddaramaiah directed officials to close LKG and UKG classes that were started in government schools without obtaining permission from the government. Speaking to mediapersons after holding a review meeting here, he said 18 government schools have started classes with English medium of instruction in Dakshina Kannada without bringing it to the notice of the deputy commissioner or the Zilla Panchayat CEO, which is a clear violation of the government notification on medium of instruction. English can only be taught as a subject from first standard. The government in its recent notification has directed all the CBSE schools to compulsorily introduce Kannada as a subject from first to 10th standard, he explained.

He said creating an atmosphere of English medium by sidelining Kannada in government schools cannot be accepted even by the government, and directed DDPI Walter D’Mello to submit a report on the action taken against 18 schools and officials concerned within 15 days.

Stating that the empowerment committee of the Authority will recommend the state government to start pre-school education on the model of “Kannada Chinnara Mane” started in a few government schools. This will help nurture children towards education.

Earlier in the meeting, he directed officials to give priority to Kannada in department websites. He said that the government in its order has made it mandatory for shops, commercial and business establishments in the state to display prominently name and sign boards in Kannada. About 60% of the space in the name and sign boards should be in Kannada. Contrary to it, in Dakshina Kannada, the name and sign boards are written in English and Malayalam languages, he lamented.

He said that C and D group employees in all public sector undertakings and private firms should be Kannadigas in Karnataka. He stressed the need for nationalisation of the education system in the country.
Siddaramaiah said that the railways should use Kannada language prominently instead of Malayalam and English. Even bank challans should have Kannada language. He directed the DC and MCC commissioner to initiate measures to identify land for the construction of a Kannada Bhavana in Mangaluru.