BENGALURU: With more than 3,000 schools across the state having crossed or touched 100 years since establishment, Karnataka Development Authority (KDA) wants the state government and the department of school education to develop the infrastructure at a minimum of one such school in each district.
KDA Chairperson Purushotma Bilimale said, “KDA has surveyed schools that have crossed 100 years across the state. There are more than 3,000 such schools, and they must be given the heritage tag. We understand that it is not possible for the government to focus on all the 3,000 schools, but it is essential to choose one such school from each district. In a year’s time, they can develop 31 such schools in the state.”
Bilimale said, “There is a 100-year-old school in Shivamogga where Shantaveri Gopala Gowda has studied. Similarly, there is a school where great writer Kuvempu studied.
Our list also includes a school at Harappanahalli in Davangere where Mahatma Gandhi visited and another one in Karwar district which was visited by Rabindranath Tagore. At least such schools of historical importance must be recognised and infrastructure must be developed along with a museum displaying information of these people and exhibit photos if they are available.”
KP Suresh, an educationist who has surveyed more than 60 such schools in eight districts for this report, said, “These schools are in a bad shape. While some of them have been repaired by mobilising funds from local people, others are ignored. With the mushrooming of private schools, the student strength in many old government schools has reduced almost to single digit. The department must make it mandatory to dedicate Rs 15–20 lakh to develop one such school in each district, and only then, these can be restored.”
Suresh also warned that in the coming years, some more schools will cross 100 years of establishment.