Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Sep 5: Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri announced here that the government is seriously considering shutting down around 500 schools in the state, where the number of students is five or less. About 120 of these schools are in Tumkur district alone, he explained.
Appointing teachers and running a school with a handful of students is not worth the effort and cost. The students affected by such closures will be shifted to the nearest schools. If such schools are located away, the government will pay transport allowance to the students, he informed.
The minister also spelt out a health insurance scheme covering over two lac teachers upto to PU level in the state, by meeting a major portion of the premium on its own. A small sum towards the premium will be collected from the respective teachers, he said. The department has drawn up elaborate plans of building around 300 schools, renovating over 1,300 schools which are in poor condition and providing power connection to over 15,000 schools, he added.
Kageri defended the action of the department in serving notices to schools which closed down for a day in protest against the atrocities being committed on Christian communities in Orissa, saying that the government, which is extending aid and other facilities to these institutions, naturally expects them to stick to rules and obtain permission before taking up agitational programmes. The schools cannot be allowed to become rallying points for the whims of the managements, he reasoned.