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• Education Department Officials Counter ZP resolution to Introduce English in Schools.

Udupi, May 9: Just over a month after the Udupi Zilla Panchayat passed a resolution to teach English as an optional subject from Std I in government schools, the decision has been countered by the education department officials.

“The Zilla Panchayat has no right to pass any such resolution,” say the officials even as the ZP president quotes the education minister’s permission to take the decision. With this indifference it is doubtful if the ZP will be able to introduce English from this academic year.

DDPI Narasimha Murthy told the reporter that education is a state subject and the ZP has not authority to pass such resolutions and instruct the officials. Hence, the ZP resolution does not hold good and English would not be introduced as an optional subject from first standard in Kannada medium schools, he said.

According to him, the ZP resolution was a breach of the state government order not to pass such resolutions. Even the education department had written to the ZP that English would not be introduced in Kannada medium schools unless there was a government order.

But ZP president B N Shankar Poojary defends the resolution. He said English would be introduced in all the Kannada medium schools from this academic year as an optional language.

He said the resolution was passed as education minister Basavaraj Horatti had allowed the ZPs to take decisions in matters related to their respective districts. “Teaching English is necessary to save the government and aided Kannada medium schools from shutting down,’’ he said. “Keep the officials aside, the teachers are interested. It is necessary to teach English to maintain the minimum attendance in Kannada schools. If the department does not take steps in this connection, we will make arrangements to teach English informally from first standard,’’ he said.

The ZP had passed a resolution on March 27 to teach English from first standard in government and aided Kannada medium schools. Education department officials were asked to make necessary arrangements to introduce the subject from the next academic session.