AIDSO launches ‘signature campaign’ to protest move to close down govt. schools

The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) has launched a signature campaign to collect five million signatures to protest against the reported move to shut down 6,200 government schools in the State.

The campaign was held near Gandhi Square, and the signatures from the public were collected.

Nitin, the AIDSO district secretary, said that the State government is moving forward to shut down more than 6,200 government schools in the name of “low enrolment”. Of the 6,200 schools, as many as 891 are in Mysuru.

“The government schools are the only hope for the education of poor children, and the foundation for the future of crores of students. Those who come to these schools are mostly children of the poor, farmers, and labourers. The current situation of such government schools is very pathetic and worrying,” he stated in a press release here.

He said there are more than 6,000 single-teacher schools in the State. More than 3,500 schools do not have toilet or drinking water facilities that are in usable condition. The roofs of many school buildings have been leaking for years due to a lack of repair. Most importantly, there are more than 59,000 vacant teacher posts in government schools across the State. More than 29,000 government schools are dilapidated and on the verge of collapse,” he stated in the release.

The AIDSO has criticised the closing down of schools in the name of “low enrolment” without addressing the serious problems faced by government schools is a “conspiracy” to permanently deprive the children of the poor of education.

The protestors urged the government to drop this ‘unscientific’, ‘undemocratic’, and ‘anti-people’ decision, and immediately provide necessary basic facilities to the schools with low attendance instead of closing them.