English can be medium of instruction: SC

English can be medium of instruction: SC

Verdict leaves the state with just two days to register 5,000 English medium schools

Srikanth Hunasavadi. Bangalore



The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for private education institutions in Karnataka to have English as the medium of instruction. The apex court ordered the state government to register over 5,000 English medium schools in the state.
In a major setback to the state government, the Supreme Court rejected the state's plea to stay the Karnataka High Court's July 2008 order stating that unaided and private schools could not be compelled to follow its policy on Kannada as a medium of instruction. The High Court in the order had also struck down offending provisions of the medium of instruction policy of 1994, saying it was unconstitutional.
Chief Justice of India, Justice KG Balakrishnan, Justice Satashivam and Justice Deepak Verma constituted the bench which heard the interlocutory application filed by Karnataka pleading for a stay on the High Court order. The apex court said there was no urgency in the matter and adjourned the case till after the court vacation.
The Supreme Court has issued notices to all private education institutions in Karnataka and directed them to file replies.
On April 6, 2009, the Karnataka High Court had set a deadline of four weeks for the state to register all the 5,000 unaided and private schools to allow English as a medium of instruction. The judgment copy was issued to the schools only on April 15, and the deadline set was May 15.
The deadline has now put the state government in a spot of bother as it has just two days left to decide on registering the English medium schools, or face contempt charges.
But the government is firm on its decision not to give permission for English medium schools.
However, the Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association (KUSMA) is elated over the apex court verdict. "We welcome the Supreme Court's decision. The state government has no option but to register English medium schools. Our Constitution does not recognise any power in a state to impose a language of its choice as a medium of instruction," KUSMA's council KV Dhananjay told DNA. "After all, children are not the state's property and nor are their parents under servitude to the government for the education of their wards."