Hubballi: Justifying the state government's decision to introduce English medium in government schools from the next academic year, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said it was necessary in the interest of poor families, who could not afford education in private schools.
Inaugurating the 84th Akhil Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Dharwad, he explained it was not a hurried decision to introduce English medium in government schools. " It is one of the steps we have taken to make government schools attractive again to children. The poor also dream of educating their children in convent schools. The decision has been taken to prevent discrimination (among the poor and rich)," he said, however, offering to hold a discussion on the issue with Kannada litterateurs and experts, and take their valuable suggestions.
In his view, the Right to Education Act was a bogus scheme and had merely become a means of plundering government funds. Also, the mushrooming of English medium schools and closure of Kannada medium schools, had paved the way for commercialisation of education and given many politicians control of educational institutions.
The Chief Minister went on to make it clear that he would always stand by Kannadigas and safeguard the Kannada language. "My top priority will be to provide basic facilities in government schools. My government is not responsible for their pathetic condition. As many as 13 lakh children have moved to private English medium schools from government schools between 2013-14 and 2017-18. Our government is spending Rs 1,200 crore on providing basic facilities in these schools in a year," he added.
