Closure of 1400 Schools in Bangalore

written at the behest / persuasion by Swarnakumar :)
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A few days back, different news channels were beaming at us reports related to a directive of the Delhi courts to certain super-specialty hospitals. The govt. of Delhi had sold the land in prime localities at concessional rates to these hospitals under the condition that they would provide free medical services to certain number of poor patients. Years had passed and these hospitals were not complying with their commitments. When the govt. asked for an explanation and why the permission should not be withdrawn besides cancellation of the allotment of land – the authorities of the hospitals came out with their argument saying how difficult it was for them to financially fulfill their obligations, pleading for the patients who were currently being treated, how they were making Delhi/India proud by offering super-specialty health services to large number of people at reasonable prices. They even attacked the govt. saying how bad the hospitals run by govt. were and advised the govt. not to interfere in micro-level administration of institutions.

Thanks to good hearted public and socialist zealots – rightly – the public felt that these hospitals should not only be penalized for their defaults, but also be made to fulfil their commitments of treating the poor. If they were unable to do so, the administration of the hospitals could be auctioned off or taken over by the govt. itself !!

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Today the same TV channels were reporting about over 1400 schools in Bangalore city alone, who had taken permission from the govt. to run Kannada medium primary schools. The govt. following its own rule of 1994, had granted permission and provided financial aid to these schools. But the managements were actually running English medium schools all these years, illegally. So the govt. had no alternative but to ask the schools to change the medium of instruction to mother tongue or face de-recognition.

I naturally equated hospitals with schools, prime-land at concessional rates with financial aid, recipients of medical treatment to students, refusal to provide free treatment with providing education in mother tongue.

So I expected that the channels, panelists and the general public to laud the woken-up govt. machinery and efforts of education minister for bringing errant schools to book. I thought, the people would demand these managements why they should not be penalized(not 1 or 2 schools – 1400 schools affecting over 20 lack students in Bangalore city alone), forced to change medium of instruction – failing which the schools could be auctioned off or taken over by Govt.

But the yardsticks had changed !!

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Issue of language is often described as ‘emotional’ – something lacking logic all together. Here were panelists sitting in Mumbai/Delhi preaching about importance of English to people of Bangalore !! They were pleading for ‘harmony’ and ‘tolerance’ to people of Karnataka. The govt. was supposed to let off the defaulters, violate its own 1994 rule and let the people to continue their illegal acts (or legalize the illegal). The law was to be bent on the advice of CEOs of corporate houses looking out for required workforce with skill-set, on advice of English media houses and their employees who wanted to increase their viewer base, on advice of ‘eminent intellectuals’ who knew how culturally alienated students educated in English at primary level could easily be manipulated to accept their ideologies, on the advice of workless petty politicians sitting on opposition benches – SMS counts indicating ‘popular public opinion’ to a tactically framed question !!

I would like:

1. the govt. to bring to book and make managements of schools to change medium of instruction to Kannada, something for which they have been given license and financial aid.
2. The present batch of students can either change their medium of instruction or might be allowed to receive education in English – depending on the classs in which they study.
3. To extend the law to educate the students in their mother tongue at primary level in all schools of the state – whether private or missionary/ pathashala / madarasa etc.
4. If the students are children of employees of Central govt., who face transfers across the nation, they could be admitted in schools of Central Govt. These Central Govt schools could only admit such children.

It is the duty of the govt. to implement the law while the educationists determine the frame work. Committees of Dr. Gokak and Sarojini Mahishi etc have done enough work in the field of education and administration in mother tongue and submitted their reports. There haven’t been many changes in the present times to re-look into these reports. It is the sacred constitutional duty of the govt. to implement these reports in toto.

My request to media people is to be impartial and only truth should be delivered with correct facts and figures. We respect them and trust them for their news – based on which we form our views.