BENGALURU: Kannada Development Authority Chairman Purushottam Bilimale has opposed the State Government’s decision to open new English medium classes in 4,134 government primary schools in the state.
Bilimale has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh in this regard. He said KDA does not accept this initiative where Kannada is being sidelined. He said it is not wrong to learn other languages, but in the process, sidelining Kannada is not acceptable.
Bilimale said that learning in one’s mother tongue will help the child to learn and understand about its identity and culture.
Bilimale said that between 2013 and 2018, Child Right Act 29(F) (Karnataka Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules) was amended in both the Houses of the legislature and was sent to the President for approval. “As per that, education till Class 8 should be in the mother tongue. CM Siddaramaiah, who was in Delhi, met the President to get many bills approved. This law needs to be stressed. The State Government has taken a decision that opposes the very purpose of this law,” he said.
Bilimale also demanded that the State Government implement the 2017 report by KDA on strengthening government schools. He also said the government should also implement the Kannada Language Learning Act-2015 to teach Kannada as a first or second language. He also said the State Government should constitute a separate authority to strengthen aided and unaided Kannada schools.
Bilimale said KDA has endorsed the two-language policy. Bilimale interacted with representatives of Kannada Rakshana Vedike on Friday. He said they have proposed the same in the process of drafting the State Education Policy. “We are waiting for this report, which is expected to be presented by the end of July. We are going to bring awareness among the public in this regard,’’ he added.