Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Jun 25: "The Education department in the state is being misused to sow poison in the minds of children through textbooks. The Education department has been weakened. Dirty politics is being done in the name of revision of textbooks," said former minister B Ramanath Rai.

He was addressing a press meet at Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte here on Saturday, June 25.

He said, “Education plays a prominent role in children's life. Rajiv Gandhi introduced National Policy on Education and Rai said, "There is a shortage of teachers in the state. The government is not ready to appoint new teachers. Every year the number of teachers is getting reduced.

"Though the schools have started, the textbooks have not reached the students. This has affected the future of students. The government has failed to provide uniforms, school bags, and bicycles. The education department has not provided the basic equipment necessary for teaching. The BJP-led state governments have stopped all basic amenities to the government schools.

“Chapters on visionaries like Brahmashree Narayana Guru, Basavanna, Rani Abbakka, and Kayyar Kinhanna Rai were dropped from the textbooks. Politics is being done in the name of the textbook review by the committee. When Congress was in power, the union government had sanctioned Rs 80 crore for Dakshina Kannada under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The Congress in the state had also introduced programmes like Nali Kali and Vidya Siri besides initiating mid-day meal scheme for the children,” Rai said.

He alleged that for the government education of a children is not important. “All that it wants is the 40% commission,” he said and also demanded that the government should provide basic facilities to the schools and supply the textbooks immediately.

Congress leaders Ibrahim Kodijal, Shashidar Hegde, Mamtha Gatti, and others were also present.