SPEAKING THEIR MIND: Writer U.R. Ananthamurthy and former Planning Commission member L.C. Jain addressing the press in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: The proposal to set up the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT) in Karnataka in partnership with Azim Premji Foundation has been opposed by several educationalists and intellectuals, including Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy and the former Planning Commission member L.C. Jain.

They termed it a "dangerous" sign of the Government relinquishing the core responsibility of policy framing in the area of education in the name of public-private partnership.

Mr. Jain told presspersons that education was a constitutional commitment involving every child's future, and this obligation of the State could not be minimised. The Government should place all facts on what necessitated formation of this body in private partnership before the people and reconsider the idea before going any further, he said. Giving details about implications of this partnership, advocate B.T. Venkatesh said the private partner would not only have a say in policy making, but also have the right to seek an "action taken" report from the Government on implementation.

Niranjan Aradhya of the Centre of Child and Law in the National School of Law India University said that a letter had been sent to Azim Premji Foundation from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Karnataka, inviting them to be the Government's partner in setting up and eventually running SIEMAT. He said three rounds of meetings had been held in this regard.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail