In an attempt to save the school from being shut down, the Alaghatta village kids from government high school in Chitradurga district of Karnataka travelled over 250 km and met with Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, demanding that the education unit not start with their plans to close the school.
Carrying their school bags, 43 school students in their uniforms, along with some village elders reached the Chief Minister’s residence in JP Nagar on a bus at 5 am. As per the reports from The Times of India, it was only around 10:45 am when HD Kumaraswamy decided to meet with the students, after which he ordered officials to make sure that the school isn’t shut down.
HD Kumaraswamy addressing school students (Source: Facebook/Namma HDK)
Kumaraswamy asked the students for a one week time and guaranteed them that their demands would be met. It was on June 16, when students and teachers were informed by local authorities that their school, which was running for 24 years, would soon shut down. The students, according to the local authorities, would be moved to a school 15 km away in Bharamasagara village.
However, the students stressed the fact that the classes for the current academic year had already started. Officials pointed out that the less number of students at the government school is the reason behind their decision to close down and transfer students. The current batch has 50 students.
According to Deccan Chronicle, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy scolded his officials, asking, “Have you not bothered to resolve the problem of these children? Mind the work you do. If I keep meeting people with complaints when will I run my administration?”
Speaking to The Times of India, meanwhile, a gram panchayat member of Alaghatta village, “We protested against the department’s decision for a couple of days, but no one bothered to listen to us. This pushed us to meet the CM to seek justice,” he told the publication.
