Numerous Kannada organisations have expressed their outrage following the circulation of a viral social media post. The post alleges that parents and the administration of a private school in Bengaluru were planning to approach the education department to discontinue Kannada as a subject from Class VIII, reports The New Indian Express.
After this, several screenshots of WhatsApp messages were shared on a social media platform, demanding action from the state government. The messages, believed to be from earlier this year, supposedly originated from a group chat consisting of approximately 50 parents of students attending the school, states The New Indian Express.
In one such message, a parent mentioned the likelihood of Kannada being dropped from the Class VIII curriculum, encouraging parents to indicate their language preference. Furthermore, they claimed that the school administration had instructed them to exert pressure on the education department by submitting a formal letter to ensure the removal of Kannada. The message said, “A parent who works at the education department can put our case forward. It will be the principal who will go for the meeting with the education department but she will require all signatures - maximum representation.”
Although the authenticity of the messages remains unverified, the controversy has ignited a strong response, with many demanding an investigation into the matter. According to the report, one individual stated, “If they don’t want Kannada, let them get out of Karnataka. School management and government should reject this kind of request.”
Meanwhile, officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) have acknowledged hearing about the allegations; however, no formal complaint has been filed with the department regarding the removal of Kannada from the school's syllabus.
