Basavaraj Gurikar, president of the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association, has urged the government to offer pre-primary education at every government primary school in the State.
According to the existing rules, a child should be 5 years and 10 months age to get admission for class 1 at government schools.
As majority of private schools offer pre-primary education, they attract children of three years age for LKG. This has resulted in sharp decline in student strength in government schools. The problem can be addressed by offering pre-primary education a government schools, Mr. Basavaraj Gurikar said at a press conference here on Wednesday. The government should release Rs. 50 crore immediately to offer pre-primary education at government primary schools.
Special incentive
In 2012, Rs. 300 was sanctioned as special incentive for teachers serving in government and aided primary schools, which should be merged with their basic salary, Basavaraj Gurikar said.
Raising the issue of vacant posts of primary school headmasters, he said that in 1986, the government had sanctioned 11,940 posts but many of them remain vacant to this day affecting the administration of schools.
He urged the government to fill the posts of headmaster by promoting eligible assistant teachers.
He pressed the government to evolve a scientific promotion policy for teachers. The government should fill at least 75 percent of vacant teaching posts in high schools by promoting assistant teachers with B.Ed. degree and serving in government primary schools.
‘Private schools offer pre-primary education to attract children aged three for LKG’