Govt to withdraw aids for under-performing schools

Dharwad: The state government might withdraw grants to private aided schools and PU colleges that record a poor passing percentage in SSLC and PUC examination. Principal Secretary (Primary and Secondary Education) Shalini Rajneesh has written to all district DDPIs, requesting them to give a list of private aided schools and PU colleges which have registered a passing percentage below the district’s average for five consecutive years and send it to the government.

This comes as a response to a private aided school in Bengaluru Rural district that filed a case against the DDPI. The case questioned the DDPI’s decision to stop grants to the school when the passing percentage of its SSLC students was less than the district’s average. The school asked why it was the only institution targeted when no action was taken against other schools with poor performance.

BJP MLC S.V. Sankanur criticised the move and said that the government was being “unscientific and inhuman” and was misusing the power it held under section 53 of the Karnataka Education Act 1983, which empowers the government to withdraw the grant-in-aid. He has written a letter to the Principal Secretary (Primary and Secondary Education) seeking to cancel the decision. He has also warned that teaching and non-teaching staff and the managing committees of private aided schools and PU colleges will launch a state-wide agitation if the plan is implemented.