Class 7 students unable to do basic maths, 180 Karnataka teachers issued notices

Chikkaballapur: The Karnataka Education Department has issued show-cause notices to 180 government school teachers after finding that some Class 7 students could not perform basic mathematical operations or write Kannada letters. The incident was reported in Karnataka's Chikkaballapur district.

The shocking findings came to light during surprise inspections conducted at various government primary schools in the constituency of Chikkaballapur MLA Pradeep Eshwar. The inspection found that some Class 7 students were unable to perform simple addition and subtraction and could not even write basic Kannada letters.

The MLA wrote to education department officials on September 4, urging them to intervene in the matter. Following this, the Chikkaballapur Block Education Officer's office issued notices to the teachers on September 15.

As directed by the MLA, education coordinators, block resource persons and cluster resource persons conducted special assessment tests for Class 7 students at government and aided primary schools in Chikkaballapur taluk. Students found to be significantly behind in their studies were identified, and a list containing their names and those of the teachers who had taught them in the relevant classes was submitted to the Education Department.

The teachers have been asked to explain why they failed to ensure that the students attained the expected basic learning standards. The notices stated that disciplinary action would be taken in accordance with the rules after examining the teachers' explanations.

The Education Department said the government has been implementing several schemes to improve students' learning levels. It added that failure to provide children with the required education within the stipulated period would undermine the very objectives of these government initiatives.