Shivamogga: Karnataka’s School Education Minister, Madhu Bangarappa, recently declared his unwavering commitment to elevating educational standards across the state. His focus is squarely on enhancing the quality, equality, and accessibility of primary and secondary education for all students in Karnataka.
During a media interaction in Shivamogga, Minister Bangarappa shared how Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar entrusted him with the education portfolio, expressing their full confidence in his capabilities.
He embraced this responsibility as a significant challenge and is now pleased with the positive feedback from various segments of society regarding his department’s efforts. Reflecting on his initial days, he noted, “Initially, some media outlets focused on my Kannada language and hairstyle. However, with time, the public’s attention shifted to the tangible progress and achievements of the education department.”
Reinforcing his dedication to improving educational quality, the Minister announced the government’s plan to establish 800 new Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). This marks a substantial increase from the initial target of 500 schools. The foundation stone laying ceremony for these new schools is anticipated to take place in Shivamogga very soon.
Furthermore, Minister Bangarappa revealed that he has urged the Chief Minister to extend financial aid to Kannada-medium schools established between 1995 and 2005, an issue that may be addressed in the upcoming budget. His department is also committed to filling existing vacancies within aided educational institutions.
Addressing resource allocation, he elaborated, “We’ve also made a decision to reassign teachers from aided schools with low student enrollment to other aided schools that need staff. Unfortunately, some institutions are resisting this, hoping to recruit new teachers instead. To counter this, we will soon implement a policy making it mandatory for aided schools to accept assigned teachers.”
In a compassionate move, Mr. Bangarappa confirmed his department’s decision to establish a dedicated school in Bengaluru for students battling cancer. A suitable location for this specialized school has already been identified at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology.
Additionally, another school catering to children with special needs is planned for Tirthahalli, reinforcing the commitment to inclusive education.
This insightful discussion with the media was hosted by the Shivamogga Press Trust, with Trust President N. Manjunath and Secretary Nagaraj Nerige in attendance.