AIDSO protests against Congress government’s move to allow adoption of govt. schools by private institutions

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Students under the aegis of All India Democratic Students’ Organisation staging a protest at Vivekananda Circle in Dharwad on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Hundreds of students under the aegis of All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) staged a protest at Vivekananda Circle in Dharwad on Friday, condemning the State government’s move to allow adoption of government schools by private institutions and corporate companies.

Addressing the protesters, AIDSO district secretary Shashikala Meti alleged that the Congress government, which had promised to protect government schools, was pursuing policies such as the Karnataka Public Schools (KPS)-Magnet initiative and an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that would undermine the public education system.

She alleged that the government had held a meeting at Vidhana Soudha on November 4 to facilitate the handing over of government schools to private institutions and corporate companies, with 2,000 schools proposed to be taken up in the first phase. She termed the move a betrayal of the people.

Ms. Meti also criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the government representatives for allegedly making derogatory remarks about government school teachers and blaming them for declining educational standards, while overlooking shortcomings in its own policies.

She said the government was proposing that private institutions adopt three government schools each, with the provision to name the schools after the adopting institutions. Other proposals reportedly included deputing teachers from private schools and providing old buses, laboratory equipment and computers.

The government should address deficiencies in public education and recruit adequate numbers of teachers instead of shifting its responsibility to private entities, she said.

Ms. Meti alleged that 14 government schools had already been merged with the KPS at Hegganuru in Kanakapura, Bengaluru South district, contradicting the government’s assurance that no government school would be closed.

She demanded the immediate withdrawal of the government’s education policies and called upon the public to join a movement against what she termed the “corporate takeover” of public education.

AIDSO district president Sindhu Kou di, district organisers Shantesh Nandikollam, Siddalingappa Chippalakatti and Ravishankar Poladi, among others took part in the protest.

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