Bangalore ..my memories

my memories...

My fond memory of Bangalore goes back to 1973 to a cool cozy and pollution free city, Bangalore! The present day generation cannot even imagine the atmosphere and climate that Bangalore was then. Cantonment was the central part of the city! During 1973 Bangalore was so pleasant and almost all outskirts – the three kilometer radius –was lush green vineyards. Dinnur, Sultan Palaya, Hebbal, Kormangala, Adugodi, and many other places were vacant land and agricultural fields! The majestic city bus stand was a lake, gradually converted for Congress exhibition ground.

This photograph was taken at Mission High School Museum Road, Bangalore, one of the oldest school campuses of the city. After completing three years of Full Term Apprentice course, I got job there itself in Indian Telephone Industries Ltd and thereafter joined for Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, evening class conducted by Modern Technical Institute at Mission High School. Mr. Shivashankar was the Principal of the institute. Classes were held in morning and evening. The same portions taken in the morning will be repeated in the evening. We could attend morning or evening classes, as per our convenience.

Before the morning session, we used to meet in the Kamath Hotel in the Unity Building compound.  ‘Gajamukhane…ninagevandane..’ will be the song welcoming us daily in the hotel. We used to have breakfast together and then will go to the class, whenever we attend the morning session. Chandra, T.Rajagopal, AK. Valsalan,Sasidhar, Venkatesh, Ponnuswamy,  Kunjappa etc only are the names I can remember now!

Modern Technical Training Institute was established and run by Mr. Shivashanker. This institute was affiliated to MEI Polytechnic and classes were held at Mission High School. I began my career as a Tool Room Machinist and then promoted as Technical Assistant in the Production processing department of Indian Telephone Industries Ltd, later deputed as the Care taker for in Township Administration.

I was the General Secretary for Kerala Samajam, Dooravaninagar and remained associated with it for about twelve years. With that, I had the privilege of extending my social services to the residents of Dooravaninagar and the surrounding area through Jubilee School, Vijinapura. I also worked as the General Secretary for Kerala Samajam Bangalore (Indiranagar) and worked for the Kairalee Nikethan Education Trust, Indiranagar, as a trustee for about five years.

Bangalore has seen a growth in its real estate market during 1980, with a flow of capital investors from other parts of the India, retired officials for a peaceful stay, industries etc; converted Bangalore’s plots with beautiful bungalows. Bangalore had confidently established itself as the Silicon Valley of India or pensioner’s paradise maintaining the golden era of the ‘Garden City’.

Later on, I quit ITI Ltd and joined as the Chief Administrator of an acclaimed educational establishment, Garden City College and its group of institutions. I am proud that I was successful in carrying out the vision of a great visionary Dr. Joseph VG, the Chairman of the group of institutions during my tenure there.

I remember during 2006, I had introduced a self service counter for the Children in Deva Matha Central Schools at Horamavu and Vidyaranyapura as desired by Dr.Joseph.VG the Chairman, for inculcating honesty in young minds. It is a counter inside the school premises with small items like pencil, eraser,and pencil sharpener etc including small chocolates! The children will take whatever they want and keep the money –the prescribed cost- there in a box. It was so successful and later this has been introduced in various schools in the city.

I understood (somehow) that new young blood should come to the institution for its rapid growth. I took a voluntary retirement from Garden City Group and joined as the Director at Federal Public School and then established Edutech Foundation, a Trust, carrying out various educational activities helping the School/College Managements.

Coming back to the photograph, there were about 55 students in my batch. All were working in ITI Ltd, BEL, HAL, Ashok Leyland, Graphite India, and many small and large scale industries in and around Bangalore, now in top positions. The photograph was taken on the get-together day of the outgoing batch of students in 1984. 

SK NAIR – 09591922522

My suggestions on National Education Policy 2016

It is really admirable that the Government has taken a step to get the feedback and suggestions of the common man in such a great step taken for the National Education Policy.

A considerable number of citizens including me is dreaming for a national syllabus for the students up the Higher secondary level. At same time the universities can have their own disciplines depending on the regions and necessity.

I urge the central government to take care of the following points while formulating the policy for a national Education system.  

1.     Syllabus shall be formulated giving importance on career guidance. Especially the scope of career shall be made to understand by the students while reaching higher secondary level.

2.      The syllabus shall not encourage the differences in region religion and party politics. The School campus shall be free from political parties and their students unions.

3.     The syllabus shall consist of the education of the constitution of India at the appropriate level.

4.     The government shall take appropriate decisions to sponsor students from other countries with the participation of the governments of such countries, which will bring the cultural relationship of the other countries.

5.     The School and college fees shall have to be fixed and enforced by the government strictly in Government, Government Aided, and Private Unaided schools throughout India.

6.     The salary for teachers also has to be fixed and enforced by the government for the Government, Government Aided, and Private Unaided schools.

7.      It is proved in India that the Private sector school can do much better than the Government Schools. Government shall take appropriate action to bring up the Government schools, encourage sponsorship of government school by private institutions, and fix the fees in the private schools, in total to make education (not free!) affordable for all in India.

8.     Bring all admissions from 1^st standard to a single window and rationalize the commercial activities of education.

9.     Right to Education act is being enforced throughout India. But how many schools are exempted in the country. Government shall conduct a study about the implementation and governance of the same.

I personally thank the government for providing the citizens to give their views and suggestions. These process were there earlier also but for name sake.

SK NAIR

No.1, Dwaraka, 1st Cross Reddy Layout, TC.Palya Road, RM.Nagar, Bangalore 560 016  

Phone 9591922522 

Closing of government Schools in Karnataka?

Closing of government Schools in Karnataka?

The step to close a considerable number of government schools has been initiated years back in Karnataka. However the move to do so is getting geared up now. The reason quoting is the less number of students.  And the effect of this move is appearing in some other shape in our state and in the neighboring states. The aided schools started preparing for close down! State Government shall soon engage an expert team to find out the ways and means to support the existence of the Government Schools and the State aided schools considering the beneficiaries – the children from economically weaker and the villages and other rural areas.

One side government is trying to make the primary education compulsory and free for the poor through various Act and Rules like RTE. Unfortunately the other side the responsible officials of the department of education itself is taking steps to close down the public schools; may be to reduce their work load?    

The state government has initiated the project ‘Adoption of School’. But how many schools have been adopted so far? The basic concept of adoption and the privileges given to the individual or establishment who adopts the school are not at all attractive! They are treated as the investors without any benefits of social status or finance.  We can very well understand that the rules for adopting a school are framed in such a way that nobody should come forward for it!

The basic intention of closing down of the government schools is to help the aided school management. All most all aided schools want to close their institutions as early as possible because most of them are situated at the prime localities where the real-estate value is booming like anything! They don’t have any income as such, other than the throw away amount given as the grant in aid and they are in pathetic condition. They don’t have any income. They had become the custodian of their prime property without even the market rent!

Their forefathers donated their property and invested huge amount for constructing the institution with an interest of providing education to the generations. They were facing heavy financial crunch all over their life. They might have utilized their personal income to run the school just because of their charity. Now their successors are being punished by the government. They are not even getting the rent amount in par with the market rate. The meager amount what they are getting as grant from the government will not be sufficient for doing white wash even. The amount of grant given by the government is based on the number of students.  The number of admissions will be depending on the quality of education given. The government should think seriously and deeply why the parents are unwilling to send their children to government schools or aided schools. The aided school management is helpless in taking action on the teachers. The situation in government school is familiar to everybody. Teachers find more time to do their own business than teaching. It is true that the unaided schools are doing well. They can collect lakh  of rupees for even nursery classes as tuition fees, donations etc. Government doesn’t have any control on them, or the control is to collect bribe from them. Any rules and regulations can be managed with bribes in the department of public instruction!

 The Government shall soon engage an expert team to find out the ways and means to support the existence of the Government Schools and the State aided schools considering the beneficiaries – the poor children from different walks of life. The RTE alone cannot support for the prime cause of providing primary education free fair and compulsory.

SK Nair