Kannada to be made mandatory in all schools

Bengaluru: State Government has passed a circular stating Kannada mandatory in all schools including CBSE and ICSE boards from the next academic year.

Education Minister Tanveer Sait said that students will be taught Kannada in all schools in the State, including private, linguistic minority, and Central board schools.

“Kannada being a state language we have amended the state education act to bring all schools under the ambit of the education department. And we have introduced Kannada as an introductory language in all schools. At least students should know the essence of the state language,” Minister Tanveer Sait told a news channel.

A circular states that there will be no Kannada examinations in the first three years, and exams will be conducted from Class 4. If any student from outside the State joins Class 4, then he or she will not have to write the exam for three years, till Class 6, the Minister said.

Stringent action, including withdrawal of no objection certificate issued by the Education Department, would be initiated in case of non-compliance, he added.

The rule will also apply to all Kendriya Vidyalaya schools based in the state. “All schools are allowed to work only after the issue of no objectification certification by the government of Karnataka. We have certain conditions. All schools in Karnataka, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, will have to follow it,” he added. 

Apart from this, the minister said that schools will also have to play state anthem naada geethe in daily assemblies along with the national anthem.