43 govt schools with English medium in Dakshin Kannada draw 1,474 kids

MANGALURU: Government schools in Dakshina Kannada district, which opened English-medium sections this year, have seen a whopping demand. As on June 1, 43 select government schools have admitted 1,474 students in English medium. While the number of students enrolled in their Kannada medium sections is only 176.
Government Higher Primary Model School, Vittal, has received the highest number of admissions with 121 students for class I , while Government Higher Primary School has got the second-highest number of students admitted to English medium (106). The Government Teachers Training Institute, Balmatta, has got the least number of students (4) admitted to English medium. Interestingly, 22 out of 43 schools have not got a single student admitted to Kannada medium.
Admissions for class I in English medium began from May 29. The 30-student per class restriction notwithstanding, some schools enrolled more students. The 44-year-old Government Higher Primary School at Daddalkad in Bantwal taluk, which was once on the verge of closure, has admitted 106 children to English medium. “There is a positive response from all quarters of society for students to study in English medium,” said an official .
Another official said the number was restricted to 30 as it’s a pilot project and also to maintain quality. “However, we want both quality and quantity. All 43 schools are chosen carefully for this scheme. They have good infrastructure, faculty members and facilities and can accommodate any number of students. This apart, SDMCs arrange additional teachers. Dakshina Kannada schools need not have restrictions on admissions,” an official said.
An official from the department of public instruction said: “If there was no English medium introduced this year, all those 22 schools would have been shut in four or five years.”
SDMCs oppose govt move
Members of school development and monitoring committees (SDMCs) and associations fighting to save Kannada schools in the region have opposed the government’s recent circular to restrict the number of admissions . Ivan D’Souza, parliamentary secretary to revenue minister, said, “I’ll bring this to the notice of chief minister (CM) HD Kumaraswamy and request to make necessary changes so that more students are admitted into English-medium classes .”