AIDSO continues stir over move to shut 4000 schools

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: More than 100 students, teachers and members associated with All India Democratic Students Association (AIDSO) continued their protest against the state government’s move to shut down more than 4000 government schools, on Tuesday. The state government’s reported decision to shut down the schools across the state and merge them as part of the “Hub and Spoke Model” has triggered flak from student unions and other stakeholders. This also comes amid increasing sentiment for Kannada and a push for for saving government schools where Kannada is taught.

Addressing the protest convention, Shibashish Praharaj, General Secretary of the Central Council of AIDSO, stated that all parties that have ruled and are ruling the country are implementing anti-education and anti-people policies. “The education policy introduced by the Congress government in 1986 opened the floodgates for commercialization and privatization of education. All subsequent governments in power have continued this trend,” Praharaj added.

He called for building powerful movements against every government that is closing government schools and colleges and depriving the poor of education. The previous state government had attempted to shut down 13,800 government schools as part of its National Education Policy (NEP) and only an intensive student movement stopped it.

Chandrakala, Vice President of AIDSO recalled this and added, “There are about 6000 single-teacher schools in the state. More than 3,500 schools lack usable toilets. Over 59,000 teaching positions in government schools remain vacant.” The protest convention was attended by AIDSO Central Council President Sourav Ghosh, AIDSO State President Ashwini K. S., State Secretary Ajay Kamath, Vice Presidents Abhaya Diwakar and Apoorva, State Treasurer Subhash, Office Secretary Mahantesh, State Secretariat members Kalyan and Vinay Chandra, along with many activists.