Teacher assignment row: Retired Kannada teachers to take classes in Maharashtra border schools

Shiggaon: A meeting was held under the leadership of Sangli District’s Jat Taluk MLA Vikramsinh Balasaheb Sawant to address the issue of appointing Marathi teachers in Kannada schools in Maharashtra.

Somanna Bevinamarada, Chairman of the Border Area Development Corporation, stated that it was decided to reassign around 110 retired Kannada teachers within 15 days as a temporary solution with the cooperation of both states.

Speaking to “Udayavani” about this issue, he said that, as per Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s directive, an inspection was conducted in Sangli and Solapur districts. Under the leadership of Jat Taluk MLA Sawant, a meeting was held with local officials including the DDPI, BEO, and Tahsildar.

He further said that it was decided to conduct meetings involving local officials, activists, and legislators in areas where there is a “stepmotherly attitude” towards the Kannada language. A temporary solution has been implemented with the cooperation of the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka, he said.

There are more than 300 Kannada schools in the border districts of Sangli and Solapur districts, with over 40,000 students from grades 1 to 12 receiving education in Kannada. However, the appointment of around 25 Marathi teachers in these Kannada schools by the Maharashtra government has caused problems. During visits to some schools, it was found that more than 10 Marathi teachers had already submitted requests to the education department to be transferred to Marathi medium schools, citing their inability to teach in Kannada, he explained.

The governments of border states provide basic facilities like classrooms, textbooks, and uniforms to Kannada medium schools in their states. However, Kannadigas in the border areas of 6 states, 19 districts, and 63 taluks face one or the other issue. Efforts are being made to stand firm against the neglect and provide necessary grants to safeguard the interests of Kannadigas in the border areas, he added.