BANGALORE: Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti on Friday declared in the Legislative Council that there was no question of going back on the decision by the Government to derecognise 2,215 private schools for violating the State's language policy.

Mr. Horatti also clarified that the Cabinet subcommittee, which was formed recently, would only decide on the steps to be taken to protect the interests of three lakh students studying in these schools. The subcommittee was expected to submit its report on Tuesday. The Cabinet would take a decision on the matter in its next meeting, he said.

"Come what may, the decision to derecognise these schools will not be changed. I am ready to face the consequences," Mr. Horatti asserted while replying to a debate on the inconvenience caused to students, parents and teachers by the derecognition of primary schools for violation of the language policy.

He said the 2,215 primary schools were derecognised in the middle of the academic year for illegally switching to English medium though they had been granted permission to teach only in the mother tongue, including Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

Kept in abeyance

But the order on derecognition had been kept in abeyance till April 10, the end of the academic year, to ensure that the students were not put to inconvenience in the middle of the school year, he said. The schools had not only violated the language policy but also appointed unqualified teachers who were being paid a meagre salary of Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000. He said the Government wanted to put an end to this mess. "I cannot understand why some people are questioning our decision to take action against these erring schools," he remarked and said the president of the Karnataka Unaided Schools Association had admitted that the schools were violating the language policy.

The Minister also said that officials too were responsible for the mess because they had failed to initiate action despite knowing that some schools had violated the language norms. Information was being collected on the officials responsible, he said.

Schools to appeal

The Private Unaided Schools Action Committee will on Saturday submit a memorandum seeking withdrawal of the order on derecognition of schools to Minister for Medical Education V.S. Acharya, who heads the Cabinet subcommittee examining the matter. Committee president N. Venkatachaliah said private school managements and employees were also planning a dharna on March 29.

Mullahalli Suri, president of the Parents Association, said it was logistically impossible for the Government to accommodate the three lakh students who would be affected by the decision.

`Impossible task'

"As a parent, I do not say that private school managements are always right. But this is a task the Government cannot handle."

Some private managements were also considering approaching the High Court, he said. "They may have to do it if the Minister is adamant," Mr. Suri said.

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