
KOPPAL: Thousands of schoolchildren in Koppal district do not know to read and write Kannada. This came to light when officials of the education department visited some government schools in the district a few months ago.
The officials took the matter seriously and raised it during a meeting convened to discuss ways to improve SSLC results in the district recently.
MLC Hemalatha Nayak stated that according to a survey, 7,000 SSLC students can’t read and write Kannada and English. Their parents are worried as the timetable for the SSLC examination has been released.
With this being the situation, teachers have started teaching ABCD... and “Aa Aaa, Ee, Eee” to students and are preparing them for the SSLC examination.
In rural areas, parents do not send their children to schools as most of them are daily wage workers or vegetable sellers. They take their children along with them to workplaces. Many such children, who have been forcibly admitted to government schools by teachers, don’t attend classes regularly.
Raised the issue in Belagavi session: MLC Hemalatha
Ramesh Badiger, a resident of Kinnal village in the district, said, “Poor parents in rural areas want their children to earn money and they are not keen on sending them to schools. Many parents are illiterate and they do not know the importance of education. Teachers should take the matter seriously. They should not promote such students to higher classes.”
MLC Hemalatha Nayak said, “I raised the matter during the recent session in Belagavi and even urged Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa to initiate immediate action. The minister promised that he would look into it and act accordingly. But no serious action has been taken so far.”