K'taka to extend voluntary scheme for schools till June 15

Bangalore, June 5 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has extended the deadline for educational institutions to opt for voluntary scheme regarding medium of instruction to June 15, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj S Horatti announced today.

Explaining the scheme, he told mediapersons here that those schools, which had violated the Government Order regarding medium of instruction and taught in English, were now given a final opportunity to opt for the scheme and pay penalty after filing an undertaking in the form of an affidavit to maintain Kannada as the medium as ordered earlier.

The Government had derecognised 2,951 schools for violating the undertaking and these managements had obtained permission from the Government to run the schools on the condition that they would impart education in Kannada. The Karnataka High Court, acting on a petition filed by the School Managements Association, had come down heavily on the schools teaching in English in violation of the GO.

Upholding the GO, the court had also directed it to relocate students of 400 derecognised schools.

Mr Horatti, who held a top level meeting of department officials, hoped that the school managements would abide by the GO and pay the penalty immediately as the decision to extend the date was taken, keeping in view the overall interests of 3.69 lakh students.

He instructed the officers to strictly initiate disciplinary action against erring officials who were hand in glove with the school managements in the violation.

The Minister said the Government decided to do away with the trimester system in schools from this year and follow semester scheme as the trimester scheme was inconvenient to students.

UNI