Malnad villagers fear school merger will further isolate remote places

Malnad villagers fear school mergers will isolate remote areas, jeopardising education and community connections in hilly regions.

)

The Karnataka government’s proposal to merge government schools with low enrolment with the closest located Karnataka Public Schools (KPSs) has left people in the villages of the hilly Malnad region worried. They argue that the impact of closing schools in these remote villages will be greater than in other parts of the State.

The Malnad region is characterised by hamlets scattered over a large area, nestling between hills and in wooded areas. A child has to either walk or travel a couple of kilometers to reach his or her school. A majority of primary schools located in remote areas of Koppa, Sringeri, Mudigere, and N.R. Pura taluks of Chikkamagaluru, as well as those in other Malnad districts, have only a few students enrolled.

“We are worried that in the name of setting up new KPSs, all our rural schools will close by the coming academic year,” feared Subramanya Somanakodige, a gram panchayat member and resident of Huligaradi in Sringeri taluk.

Mr. Somanakodige recalled that in the last seven to eight years, five government primary schools located in Huligaradi, Arehalla, Kolegodu, Halarane, and Kittalegoli in the Agalagandi gram panchayat alone were closed. The children from these schools have either been admitted to residential schools or forced to join private schools in Jayapura or Sringeri.

“A school, particularly in our area, is not just a physical structure. It is the heart of the village, a centre of activities, and a meeting point for the villagers. The role of a school in the region goes beyond providing education for children,” he pointed out.