Mangaluru: The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) has sharply criticized the Karnataka government’s alleged decision to close government schools with low attendance under the Hub and Spoke model. AIDSO convenor Vinay Chandra expressed concerns that the move threatens the future of underprivileged children, for whom these schools are a vital educational lifeline.
Chandra pointed out that the Karnataka Congress government plans to merge low-attendance schools with other institutions, effectively shutting down over 4,000 government schools. “This betrayal by the Congress government mirrors the previous BJP-led administration’s attempts to close 13,800 schools under the NEP-2020 framework. Massive protests led by AIDSO, which included over 35 lakh signatures, had successfully halted that move,” he said.
Describing the closures as a conspiracy to permanently deny education to poor children, Chandra likened the decision to “cutting off the nose to spite the face.” He urged the government to reconsider the “unscientific, undemocratic, and anti-people” policy and instead equip low-attendance schools with adequate resources to improve enrollment and learning outcomes.
AIDSO called upon students, parents, and education enthusiasts across Karnataka to unite and form a resistance movement to protect these schools. The organization emphasized the importance of accessible education for empowering farmers, workers, and common people.
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