Report on admissions to schools, colleges soon

The high level committee set up to formulate the admission policy in private schools in the state from pre-primary to PUC will submit its report by the end of this month.

Committee chairman and commissioner of public instruction G Kumar Nayak told reporters here the committee had completed the process of seeking suggestions and opinions from educationists, members of the private managements and parents.

The state government had appointed the six-member committee to recommend a policy regulating admission, and capitation fees to ensure that the issues of equity and social justice are addressed.

The committee appointed in August 2007 comprised Commissioner of Public Instruction G Kumar Nayak (chairman), former director of public instruction G Chandrashekhar, former principal of Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, Sister Geniviv, Krishna Iyer and director of public instruction T M Kumar (member secretary).

Kumar Nayak said there has generally been a consensus on the fact that private educational institutions should have transparency while admitting students to schoolsôcolleges.

The committee had considered all viewpoints and would submit its report to the government shortly.

Kumar Nayak said the quality assessment of learning abilities of the children of standard V was going on at the cluster level in the state and the second phase of examination for standard VII would be held from January 16.

The examination, conducted by the department of public instructions in collaboration with the Karnataka State Quality Assessment Organisation, will help identify the children's learning ability and take up remedial teaching.

"This would help cut down the number of children dropping out of schools," Kumar Nayak said. He informed that the children's census in the state will be conducted for three days from January 21 and the proforma will contain the previous information on the family.

"This will make addition/deletion easy," he added. The 'Samudayatta Shale' (school towards community) programme will be held throughout the state on January 29 and 30, he informed.

Stating that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is all set to be extended to high schools in the state, the commissioner said this would help create employment opportunities besides providing accessibility and infrastructure.