Taking exception to reopening of schools and colleges amid COVID-19 pandemic without proper consultation with stakeholders and experts, Congress candidate for Karnataka West Graduates’ Constituency R.M. Kuberappa urged the State government to constitute a committee of educational experts and hold consultations.
Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Kuberappa said at a time when parents were concerned about their children, the Department of Public Instruction had asked the teachers to go to school. “It has also directed them to bring children to schools by convincing the parents. This is nothing but yielding to the lobby of private educational institutions and not development of education. The Education Minister should act responsibly,” he said.
Referring to universities contemplating on providing online education to students, he said not all had smartphones and Internet facilities and the Higher Education Minister should take proper stock of the situation before taking any step. However, the Minister was not stepping out of Bengaluru, he said.
On the practical problems faced by PU college teachers to go to Bengaluru to take up evaluation of PU answerscripts, Mr. Kuberappa said it was difficult for them because of the pandemic. “Steps should be taken to decentralise evaluation,” he said.
Mr. Kuberappa said the Congress had appealed to the Election Commission to fix the dates for elections to the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies and he hoped that a decision would be taken in a week’s time.
