Belagavi Parents Rally Against Karnataka's School Closure Plan
Parents in Belagavi organized a strong protest on Sunday. They gathered at the Kannada Sahitya Bhavan to voice their anger. Their target is the Karnataka government's KPS magnet policy. This policy involves merging or closing government schools across the state.
Activists Lead the Charge
The All India Democratic Student Organisation (AIDSO) spearheaded the convention. Senior pro-Kannada activist Ashok Chandargi addressed the crowd. He made serious allegations against the state government.
Chandargi claimed the KPS scheme is a cover for shutting down nearly 40,000 government schools. He said Belagavi district alone will lose over 2,000 schools. These include Kannada, Marathi, and Urdu medium institutions.
He accused education ministers of lying to the public. "They claim no schools will close, inside and outside the Assembly. This is cheating the people," Chandargi stated. He called for unity between Kannadigas and Marathis in border regions. He described this as a historic struggle by the poor to protect public education.
Government Claims Disputed
Subhash Bettadakoppa, AIDSO state treasurer, challenged official statements. He said the government's claim of empty schools is false.
Bettadakoppa revealed nearly 37 lakh children study in Karnataka's government schools. Yet, the system faces severe neglect. More than 21,000 school buildings need repairs. Over 60,000 teacher posts remain vacant.
Instead of fixing these problems, the government is closing schools, he argued. The plan to create one KPS school per gram panchayat is misguided. He linked the policy to loans from the Asian Development Bank and the introduction of American-style magnet schools.
"Poor children are being trained for manual labor to become factory workers. This is a conspiracy to hand education to corporate houses," Bettadakoppa declared.
Artists and Activists Join the Fray
Artist and dramatist DS Chougale also spoke at the event. He called the KPS policy a class-based scheme. "It makes the rich richer and pushes the poor into extreme poverty," Chougale said. He demanded the government abandon the policy immediately. He urged writers to join the struggle to strengthen village schools.
Tulaja Ram NK, an AIDSO state committee member, invoked history. He recalled the struggles of Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule. Their efforts opened education to children of all castes and genders. "Not a single government school should be closed down," he insisted.
The convention ended with a clear message. The protest movement must spread to every corner of Karnataka. Parents and activists vow to continue their fight for accessible public education.
