The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Schools move court for English as medium of instruction

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Schools move court for English as medium of instruction

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: After having unsuccessfully dragging the State Government to the High Court for having derecognised them, primary schools have once again chosen to move the court. This time, they have challenged the refusal by the authorities to permit them to start English-medium schools.

In their petition, Aniketana School of Laggere, Bangalore, and three other primary schools said that they had applied to the State Government on May 14 seeking permission to start English-medium schools.

They said that the jurisdictional Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) had refused their request to start English-medium schools, citing the language policy of the State. The schools said that action was sought to be initiated against them and more than 2,200 other primary schools, saying that they had violated the medium of instruction. The State had then contended that though these institutions were permitted to teach in Kannada or the medium of instruction in which they had been granted recognition, they were found to be teaching in English.

The schools said they had decided to apply to the Education Department for permission to start English-medium schools. The State, however, had chosen to reject their application. They urged the court to intervene and quash the DDPI order rejecting their request.

Justice B.S. Patil, who heard the petitions, ordered issue of notices to the State and other respondents and directed the State to file its counter.

Justice B.S. Patil, in another order, issued notices to the State and the Department of Education on petitions by two schools challenging the Government action in derecognising them.

The petitioners said they had obtained no-objection certificates from the State to approach the Indian School Certificate Education (ISCE) and were teaching ISCE syllabus when an order of de-recognition was served on them.

They claimed that since teaching ISCE syllabus could only be in English, they were imparting education in that language.

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

Karnataka