Kudremukh KV shuts door

Parents worried as school refuses to re-open despite HC order; School may open in a week, says DC.

The parents of the children who were studying at Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Kudremukh see their future bleak as the institution does not show any signs of re-opening.

When the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) stopped functioning, the staff and labourers lost their jobs. Then came the turn of their children whose education got discontinued due to the closure of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kudremukh, after the company stopped providing financial aid to the institution.

The parents, who had a last hope of providing good education to their children, are under panic as the 30-year-old school, which had the strength of 172 students from the first to tenth standard, has closed its doors for the children from April 1. Excluding the Principal, all other teaching and non-teaching staff have been transferred to other Kendriya Vidyalayas. The local people and company staff had approached the High Court and the decision of the court came in favour of the people. With the HC ordering against the closure of the KVK and instructing the State government to take over the institution, there was a hope for the parents.

But, even after 20 days of the order, the school has not shown any signs of reopening. The Principal has allegedly repelled several students from the school, by giving Transfer Certificates.

The students are only permitted to enter the school premises but are not allowed to enter classrooms. Also, new admissions have been stopped, even when 35 to 40 students are waiting for the admission to the first standard.

When this correspondent went to Kendriya Vidyalaya, students were seen waiting under the tree in school premises.

The parents allege that the Kudremukh KVK Principal Geetha Padma and Kendriya Vidyalaya district President Isam Pal have ignored the future of the children by rejecting to admit the students, despite High Court orders.

There is not a single Kendriya Vidyalaya in 100 km limits of Kudremukh. The student who studied under CBSE curriculum right from the first standard, cannot study in any other school in the neighbourhood. How can the students of tenth standard learn Kannada at this stage and pass the examination, a parent asked.

KV Kudremukh Principal Geetha Padma said that the Kendriya Vidyalaya Organisation has issued a circular to stop the functioning of the school. Accordingly, the school has been closed from April 1. As the High Court has ordered that the state government to continue the institution, the process of transferring the school to the government is underway. The school is expected to reopen in a few days, with the completion of necessary procedures, she added.

Deputy Commissioner B S Shekharappa said that a correspondence has been made to the government towards taking over the school, as per High Court orders. A telephonic communication has been done in this regard with the Chief Secretary of the State Government.

The process of transferring of the school by the Kendriya Vidyalaya to the state government may consume a week long time. The school will be reopen soon after the process, the DC said.