Around 8,000 Karnataka private schools to observe ‘Black Independence Day’ to protest ‘corruption’ in Education department

D Shashikumar, general secretary of Associated Managements of Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said, “On this day (August 15), the heads of institutions and teachers of private schools will wear black bands to symbolize the lack of freedom to provide quality education in Karnataka. We are being harassed systemically by education department officials on various regulations that are entangled in legal battles and are critically contested on many accounts in the judiciary. From installing fire extinguishers in old schools to renewing recognition certificates every year, the government departments are only creating more avenues for corruption.”

The private school management associations alleged that for the past five years, the education department has been issuing daily orders without adhering to any consistent rules for the institutions it oversees. They complained that other departments, including Fire Safety, Public Works, Revenue, the Child Rights Commission, and the Police, are also indulging in harassment and demanding bribes for providing essential documents.

They association members also pointed out that the Karnataka High Court has quashed several government circulars in five significant cases. “The court questioned why the education department does not apply the same rules to its own government schools, and demanded evidence of such orders,” said Shashikumar.

“The Education Department’s appeal against these quashed orders is an attempt to perpetuate corruption. Over the past 20 months, the new government has also failed to honour court orders and address the institutions’ concerns. Despite numerous appeals to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, no concrete steps have been taken to curb corruption or solve the problems,” he added.

The private school management officials complained that due to “incompetence” of higher education officials and “misunderstanding” of court orders, it has led to creation of illogical and unscientific rules which has led to practical difficulties for older schools, established before 2017-18, to comply.