Rs 958 cr grant for education

The achievements of the state under SSA has come in for appreciation as it utilised 99 per cent of the grants allocated during 2006-07, he told reporters here.

Releasing the Karnataka School Quality Assessment Organisation report for the year 2007-08, Kageri said the 15.29 lakh students from fifth and seventh standards who were subjected to the assessment tests have shown good improvement in their learning. Several organisations including the Azim Premji Foundation have been supporting the assessment programme, he said.

Kageri said he was of the opinion that the government should not permit general transfer of teachers this year as the academic year has already begun. However, a decision on the issue would be taken by the government while deciding whether to go in for general transfers or not, he added.

Certain deficiences that has been encountered in the new system of accounting under implementation in Education department has resulted in delay in payment of salaries of teachers, he said and assured corrective steps soon.

Out of 5.5 lakh government employees, teachers account for about three lakh.