- State government decides to close down a Kannada-medium school in Bangalore, which is a century old. This decision was made because of the low number of student enrollments.
- The Block Education Officer had inspected the school earlier in Aug 2011 and ordered the transfer of students and the teachers, because the student count was only 71. Thereafter, the teachers who were getting their salaries from the State aid were transferred.
- High court objects to this decision by calling it something like “cutting off the nose to spite the face”, which means being over-reactive and self destructive.
- According to The Karnataka Educational Institutions Rules 1999 for the recognition of secondary and primary schools in the state, there is no provision for withdrawing the recognition of a school, if the student strength slips down below the minimum limit during any given year.
- According to the high court, that school cannot just be closed just on the pretext of low student strength, especially when they are complying with all the other required conditions.
- The High Court stated that closing it down would go against the interests of the state, as they have been providing education for over a century in Kannada language. Also, this particular school in Bangalore has been catering to the needs of students coming from the economically weaker backgrounds.
Exams Perspective:
- 3 Language policy of Government of India
- Classical languages