Decision on art teaching to hit small schools: Karnataka State Government Art Teachers' Association

BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Government Art Teachers' Association has taken exception to the state government's decision to post special teachers to only high schools with more than six sections, citing that students of smaller schools will lose out on art education.
Admitting the shortage of special teachers, the department of public instruction, however, alleged that the association's grouse is a smokescreen to cover for the teachers' reluctance to share higher workload that accompanies a posting in larger schools.

According to the association, the state has around 3,500 special teachers. Of these, 1,500 are art or drawing teachers, 500 teach music, and the rest are vocational teachers. "The state has around 5,000 government high schools, and only 1,250 schools have more than six sections (more than 350 students). The children in smaller schools will be robbed of an opportunity to learn art. While the state government says it is the first in the country to implement the National Education Policy, this step is contradictory (to the NEP ethos)," said Ramappa V, association president.
The department has said transfers are part of the rationalisation process to give the maximum number of students the benefit of art teachers. "The teachers will be deputed in the descending order of student strength. We will first depute in schools with six sections, then four and then two. We do not have teachers for all schools. We'll depute them in schools where the maximum number of children are enrolled so that a larger number of students can benefit," said Vishal R, commissioner, department of public instruction.

The department has said transfers are part of the rationalisation process to give the maximum number of students the benefit of art teachers. DPI commissioner Vishal R said: “Many are resisting deployment in larger schools as workload will rise.” The association has sought appointment of more special teachers in schools. “The last recruitment of special teachers was in 2008. We need more teachers so students can benefit from art education,” Ramappa added. “We are recruiting teachers for government schools.
Our priority is now for other subjects,” said Vishal. “The government should show more seriousness as art education is essential for the overall holistic growth of children,” Ramappa said. The association said NEP talks of eliminating hierarchical subject gradation and removing barriers between art and science and curricular and co-curricular activities.