Kannada medium dropouts rate alarming

Kurnool: The drop out ratio of Kannada medium students is alarmingly high in district due to lack of Kannada medium at college level. Most of the students are forced to change the medium of education after completion of class X. Those who are well off are moving to neighbouring Karnataka State to pursuing higher education.

Lack of Kannada medium higher education institutions has become a grave concern to the villagers of Gulyam, Kowthalam, Bajanahall and Virupapuram to overcome the situation.

Even though all schools in these villages are teaching in three media English, Telugu and Kannada, about 70 per cent of students are pursuing education in Kannada medium.

Recently, one Rangaswamay a resident of Alur appealed to collector Ch Vijay Mohan to close the Kannada medium school at Gulyam village in Halaharvi mandal, citing lack of Kannada medium at higher educational institutions and the Collector directed the Education department to look into the matter.

Deputy District Education Officer B Siva Ramulu speaking to The Hans India said that the school situated in Gulyam village was a higher secondary school wherein three mediums are being taught.

“Earlier the strength of Kannada medium students was 300 and now the figure has abnormally gone up to 600,” he informed.

Apart from Gulyam, the schools at Kowthalam and Bajanahal are also being taught parallel mediums and at Virupapuram only Kannada medium is being taught.

The residents of Gulyam village belong to Kurva community and their mother tongue is also Kannada and hence they are encouraging their children to pursue Kannada medium instead of Telugu, he stated.

He said the mandal education officer Rajanna has visited Gulyam village and had discussed the issue with the villagers who were said to have requested a week permission to take a decision.

The Gadinada Kannada Youth Sanga President Bajarappa said, “several students pursuing Kannada medium are forcibly dropping out after completion of class X due to lack of Kannada medium at college level.

Without higher education it not possible to get jobs and families are not in a position to invest huge amount to send their children to the adjacent State in pursuit of higher education.”

The families who are financially sound can afford the expenses of their children whereas children who belong to middle class have to give up their education and turn themselves as labourers and coolies.

He urged the State government to introduce Kannada medium from intermediate to degree besides in B.Ed courses.

Bajarappa also stated that they were holding talks with the Karnataka government to give preference to the Kannada medium students.

“Kannada Pradhikara president VS Sidda Ramaiah who came to Gulyam to pursue the issue said that he will take the issue with the Karnataka Education Minister,” he informed.