Protest against KPS Magnet scheme in Kodagu

Several parents, students and villagers from crossed Kodagu territory participated successful a protestation against closure of authorities schools nether the KPS Magnet strategy astatine Mahila Samaja Bhavan successful Kushalnagar connected Sunday. The protestation was organised by All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) and Save Public Education Committee to reason the reported closure of 235 authorities schools successful Kodagu territory nether the KPS Magnet scheme.

Addressing the gathering, AIDSO’s authorities treasurer Subhash Bettadakoppa claimed that the Government was closing 235 schools nether the pretext of merging them into conscionable 5 selected Magnet schools situated successful Kushalnagar, Kudige, Shirangala, Gonikoppal and Kutta.

“Kodagu is simply a hilly portion with nary autobus facilities for galore villages. During the 4 months of dense monsoon, it is intolerable for tiny children of Class 1 and 2 to locomotion 5-6 kilometers. If this strategy is implemented, children of java property workers and adivasis surviving connected the wood fringes, and children of mediocre farmers volition beryllium deprived of education,” helium said.

AIDSO’s State vice president Abhaya Diwakar, who besides addressed the gathering, alleged that the erstwhile BJP Government attempted to adjacent 13,800 authorities schools successful the sanction of ‘merging’. “However, backmost then, we saved those schools done state-wide struggles,” helium said. 

Now, the existent Congress authorities is proposing to adjacent 40,000 schools nether the KPS Magnet Scheme. “The eventual extremity of each governments seems to beryllium closing nationalist schools and snatching acquisition distant from mediocre students,” helium said.

Questioning the government’s fiscal priorities, Mr. Diwakar alleged that the authorities is opening KPS Magnet schools by taking a indebtedness of ₹2,500 crore from the Asian Development Bank. “Has the authorities reached specified a dire authorities that it indispensable get from backstage and planetary banks to tally authorities schools? Is the taxation we wage not enough?” helium said.

He besides added that the KPS Magnet strategy violates the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which mandates a superior schoolhouse wrong each kilometer, and alleged that the Magnet strategy is simply a ploy to privatise schools done outsourcing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bettadakoppa besides pointed retired that 62,000 posts of teachers are presently vacant successful the authorities portion implicit 7,000 schools are tally by azygous teachers and 23,000 schoolhouse buildings request urgent repairs. “Instead of providing basal infrastructure, the authorities is letting schools languish and closing them done the backmost door,” helium alleged.