Don’t shut our school: Karnataka students travel 250 kms to request CM Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: In a bid to save their government school from getting closed, a group of students from Chitradurga district travelled 250 kilometres to meet Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy earlier this week.

Shouldering their schoolbags, 43 students in their uniforms, arrived at the chief minister’s residence on June 25 at around 5 am, a report in The Times of India said.

Around 8:45 am, the Chief Minister’s officials collected details from them.

The children drew the attention of Kumaraswamy when he was about to leave in his car at around 10:45 am, who then gave the students a patient hearing.

The chief minister did not leave the students disheartened and assured them that their school would stay open.

On June 16, the government had ordered the closure of the school in Alaghatta village and relocating it Bharamasagara, which is 15 km away, citing a shortage of students.

Navina, a student told NDTV, "Why they have done this is because there are 43 of us (students). Earlier there were 52. There are private schools in our village. The private schools have given money and taken the students away. So the strength of our school has reduced."

The chief minister has also sought a report from officials on the number of students in the school.

The parents who accompanied the students to Bengaluru also alleged that the school was closed due to pressure from private schools.

However, A J Antony, deputy director of public instruction (DDPI), Chitradurga refuted the claims and said that they are following procedures.

"It is an old school but because of poor basic amenities and because the numbers of students is low in this school we gave a proposal to the government on shifting to another school. The government gave the order to transfer the school. We are following the government order.  If the government gives another order we will reopen the school," Antony told NDTV.

Meanwhile, a Gram Panchayat member of Alaghatta, E Nagaraj, told TOI that education department officials were assisting the private school lobby by closing the 24 year-old school.

“We protested against the department’s decision for a couple of days but no one bothered to listen to us. This pushed us to meet the CM to seek justice,” Nagaraj said.