TRADITIONAL BEGINNING: Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti (second from right) inaugurating the `Save higher education' conference organised by the Karnatak University College Teachers' Association in Hubli on Sunday

HUBLI: Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti has blamed the officials for the "confusion" in the field of higher education in the State.

He was speaking after inaugurating an educational conference on "Save higher education" organised by the Karnatak University College Teachers' Association here on Sunday.

"Some wrong decisions taken by a few officials in the State Government have not only created confusion but also posed a threat to higher education," Mr. Horatti said.

Senior officials in the Education Department considered only a few well-to-do private aided institutions in Bangalore while taking any decision. Another reason for the sorry state of affairs in higher education was the lack of a clear-cut education policy that would help in setting right the problems, the Minister said.

He said the process of chalking out an education policy, keeping in mind the requirements of the State till 2020, was on.

On the problems being faced by private-aided institutions, Mr. Horatti said there had been no recruitment of teachers in these institutions since 1998. If this situation continued, many such aided colleges would be forced to close down by 2010. In spite of the fact that 62 per cent of students studied in these aided institutions, steps had not been taken to help them, he said.

Explaining about the measures taken by the coalition Government to improve primary and secondary education and streamlining the recruitment process in aided schools, he urged the associations of college teachers to follow them at the government level through their representatives.

On the process to recruit teachers to aided institutions, Mr. Horatti said directions had been given to officials and the schools concerned to complete the process before September 30. If the school authorities did not furnish details within the stipulated time, they would be the losers. There was no question of extending the deadline, he added.

Referring to the excess number of teachers (1,800) in aided schools, Mr. Horatti said the Government had decided to transfer them to schools where there were vacancies. He promised the college teachers that his Government was committed to resolving the problems being faced by aided institutions.

V.B. Hiremath, Joint Secretary of the KLE Society, spoke. M.C. Kolli, Director of the KLE Society, presided over the function.

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