From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 4: To counter the falling standards and lack of students in all Government and Aided Schools in the State with the craze for admission in education in private educational institutions, Karnataka Development Authority Chairman Siddaramaiah has recommended to the State Government to issue an official government order making it mandatory for all government staff and elected representatives to enrol their children only in Government and Aided Schools.
The KDA Chairman Siddaramaiah, who has submitted his report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Monday, has made as many as 21 recommendations to the State Government.
In a bid to counter the unseemly admission rush in private pre-nursery schools, the panel has also recommended opening of LKG and UKC classes in Government primary and higher primary schools.
To ensure cent per cent attendance of teachers in schools and improve quality of teaching, the report recommended freeing teaches from all kinds of non-teaching work such as census work, electoral work.
The KDA’s other recommendations included ensuring availability of textbooks 15 days before reopening of schools every year; setting up committee for prevention of donations and test for admission of students; forming Committee for monitoring imparting of Kannada language in private schools; rejuvenation of anganwadi centres and establishing schools on the lines of Kendriya Vidayala in cities and towns .
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who released the report on "Strengthening of Government Schools and providing quality education, said many leaders, legislators and ministers who speak volumes about promotion of quality of education in government schools generally send their children to private schools.
"Many poor people come to me seeking recommendations for admission of their wards to reputed private schools in cities," the Chief Minister said and wondered how the standard of education can improve in government and aided educational institutions if the people, especially the government servants and all elected representatives do not patronise them for their own children.
With a large number of vacancies in the government schools, the KDA chairman said teachers to be recruited in all subjects to encourage high percentage pass in schools.
Filling of vacancies of teachers would also increase teacher-student ratio, the KDA report said.
As a part of the ICT programme, the panel said E-Libraries and E-books facilities to be provided in government schools so that students would equip with e-skills on par with students in private schools.
It also recommended stoppage of releasing funds to private schools under the RTE Act and suggested the use of same funds in betterment of infrastructure in government schools.
The Chief Minister summoned Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanvir Sait, who was briefing presspersons at another event in the City, and instructed him to look into the demands of the KDA and its recommendations and bring before the State Cabinet.