Report by Michael Rodrigues
Team Mangalorean Udupi

Udupi: Over the dearth of students, State wide Kannada Medium Schools are on the verge of closing down, that's because parents craze for English Medium Schools is on the rise. But if the Government makes its policy flexible, and with the help of the Community, these Kannada Medium Schools can be saved.  Such an effort is being done in Thonse panchyath limits.

About 2 (Urdu) Higher Primary Schools here are on the verge of closing down.  There are only 45 students from 1 to 7th Std. This year only 5 students are admitted to the 1st Std, of which only 3 kids are coming regularly to school. We never no, next year no kids may attend school. 

Education Department cannot bear this, closing such schools becomes inevitable. Old Students of these schools have come up with distinctive plans to save these schools somehow. They have appealed to the Government to take action in keeping  these schools open. 

They have also appealed to the Government that it should also appoint one teacher from 1 Std for teaching English. They have assured that they themselves would renovate the schools, bear salary expenses of the teachers.  Old Student Fathaullah Saheb and other alumni have come forward to take up the restoring project of these schools. 

Padu Thonse, where majority of the population being Muslims, and if English is included as one of the subjects from 1 std onwards, the parents would definitely send their kids to these school out of love for English language. This would prevent the parents from sending their children to other English Medium Schools.  

But to get the job done, government interference is a must. The Old Students of the school are in constant touch with State Education Minister to take immediate action in saving these schools from closing down.  Until the government does something, the fate of these schools are in God's hands.