School dropouts turn beggars: AAP demands resignation of minister Nagesh

BENGALURU: Blaming the government for hundreds of school children taking to begging in the State, Aam Admi Party's Karnataka vice-president Bhaskar Rao has demanded Education Minister B C Nagesh's resignation. He said the minister failed to develop government schools forcing about 10 lakh children to drop out of schools and beg in streets.

Speaking to media persons, Bhaskar Rao said, "Different departments have mentioned in their reports to the High Court that about 10.12 lakh children under the age of 14 have dropped out of government schools and anganwadis. BBMP has identified that in Bengaluru a total of 720 children have dropped out of schools and 534 of them are into begging while 186 have taken to hawking various things. We have decided to appeal to the Governor to dismiss Education Minister B C Nagesh from the cabinet as he and the education department have failed to take measures to induce children to the schools."

"It is condemnable that BJP government has failed to provide cycles, shoes, socks etc to the students which were provided in previous years. Instead they have involved themselves in controversies like the hijab, textbook revision and others. Government school buildings are in appalling condition and the students are scared to sit in classrooms. The schools lack basic facilities like playground, toilets, drinking water amongst others. The government schemes like Vidyasiri, Ksheera Bhagya, Bisioota and others have also not been in place correctly," Bhaskar Rao said.

While speaking to the media, Aam Admi Party women's wing president Kushala Swamy said, " It's been 2 months since the classes at Bangalore university have begun and the students have still not received Kannada books. During the last semester the books were issued when only 2 weeks were left for the exam. Looks like even this time students will be in the same messy situation. Even a pdf copy of syllabus is not provided to the students and teachers and this has put them in a fix. The entire education sector, irrespective of whether it is anganwadi, school or college, has reached a pathetic condition under the BJP government."