Karnataka to shutdown 1,500 more schools

BANGALORE: After taking up the exercise of closing down 595 government primary schools with less than five students, the state government has now decided to close another 1,500 schools from the next academic year where the student strength is between six to ten.Informing this to media persons here on Thursday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said that the government had already identified the schools that are to be relocated and has asked district committees formed under the CEO of respective zilla panchayats to submit a relocation plan to the government before January 2012.Students will be relocated to nearby schools which are within the radius of one kilometre. The district committees will hold consultations with the parents and villagers before shifting students to other schools, Kageri said.To a question, Kageri said that the government was thinking to bear transportation charges of students who will be shifted to other schools.“We are doing it only with an intention to provide good educational environment and develop competing skills among students. Our financial and other constraints are nothing to do with the decision,” Kageri clarified adding that even educationists approve that there would be no educational environment in schools where student enrolment is less than 20.On Right to Education ActReiterating that the state government was committed to implement the Right To Education Act in the state, Kageri attributed the delay in implementation to the lack of clarity on the part of the Centre over financial aspects involved. "We need more funds to implement the Act and we have asked Central assistance as the state cannot bear this expenditure entirely. But the Centre not willing to commit, has been asking us to implement it first and expect funds under the 12th finance commission," Kageri said.Another point of contention is of bringing the eighth standard in the purview of higher primary system (HPS). While the Centre wants the eighth standard to be brought under HPS, the state wants to retain the existing system where the eighth standard comes under secondary education. “Except two or three states, all other states have accepted this suggestion. We will do so after eliciting views of the parents and public,” Kageri said.