Those challenging Kannada as a compulsory subject in schools
BENGALURU: Parents of eight students, who have approached the Karnataka High Court against the implementation of Kannada as a compulsory subject for students in CBSE and ICSE board schools, submitted details of their children and schools in a sealed cover before the division bench. Filed.
A bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit asked for caution while commenting on the issue during arguments on Thursday.
“There are some valid points that someone who takes education in regional language and state language should not be considered disabled. He can also be very successful. At least for myself I can say, I learned in the regional language, it was never a hindrance for me.
‘These issues are; We have to consider the legal aspects of this. At the same time, those who hold high positions should show some restraint,” Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale said orally.
A total of 20 parents had approached the HC saying that the Kannada Language Teaching Act, 2015, the Kannada Language Teaching Rules, 2017 and the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Issue of No Objection Certificate and Control) Rules, 2022 are contradictory and have been implemented illegally. Has been done Kannada is also a compulsory subject in CBSE and ICSE schools.
Of these, the HC dismissed the pleas of eight petitioners finding that they were teachers who had lost their jobs and they could not have been part of the PIL on the same issue.
In an order dated September 13 this year, the HC had ordered that “the remaining petitioners have to provide the details of their children and the details of the schools in which they are studying and the details of the courses pursued by them. The details will be presented to the court by the next date of hearing. On Thursday, except four of these, the details of the remaining petitioners were presented in the court in a sealed envelope.
The petitioner’s lawyer said the information was provided in a sealed envelope because “there are some instances where children have faced some harassment in their schools. The right to privacy also includes the right to be forgotten. These minor children do not want to be a part of the court records.
He also said that “the same sealed envelope will be given to the government lawyer with a request to maintain its confidentiality.” The HC said the parents’ apprehension that they would be prosecuted is unwarranted, as they are not the first parents to challenge such an issue in court, and similar cases have been reported in other states Are.
“If children are so fragile how will they face life in the future?” I’m sorry to say that you are raising your children to be cowards. There are so many challenges in life, so many adversities in life, life can be very cruel. The court said, life can test everything, your patience, skills, experience.
However, the court accepted the details in a sealed cover and adjourned the hearing for three weeks, while giving two weeks time to the remaining four petitioners to submit the details of their children.
‘Counsel says that only to protect the confidentiality of the wards, the petitioner is making the effort to provide this information in a sealed cover. The petitioner’s counsel is further impartial in submitting before this court, the information may be shared with the government counsel so that necessary instructions can be obtained,” the court recorded in its daily orders.
