The Karnataka Private School Managements, Teaching & Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee (KPMTCC), representing around 8,000 private schools, has announced a ‘Black Independence Day’ protest on August 15. This demonstration aims to highlight alleged corruption and harassment by the state Education department.
D Shashikumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), stated, “On August 15, heads of institutions and teachers of private schools will wear black bands to symbolize the lack of freedom to provide quality education in Karnataka. We face systemic harassment by education department officials over regulations entangled in legal battles.” He cited issues like mandatory installation of fire extinguishers in old schools and annual renewal of recognition certificates as avenues for corruption.
Private school associations allege that for five years, the education department has issued inconsistent daily orders, complicating operations. Other departments, including Fire Safety, Public Works, Revenue, the Child Rights Commission, and the Police, are also accused of harassment and demanding bribes for essential documents.
Shashikumar highlighted that the Karnataka High Court has quashed several government circulars in significant cases, questioning why similar rules are not applied to government schools. Despite the court’s directives, the Education Department’s appeal against these orders is seen as an attempt to perpetuate corruption. Over the past 20 months, the new government has not addressed these concerns despite appeals to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa.
Private school officials also criticized the “incompetence” of higher education officials and “misunderstanding” of court orders, leading to impractical and unscientific rules for older schools established before 2017-18.