Opposition to Karnataka government’s move to deploy PU lecturers to teach high school students

Key Points

1. Lecturers of Government Pre-University Colleges (PUC) in Karnataka may be required to teach classes 9 and 10 of high schools.
2. The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has proposed amending the ‘Karnataka General Services (Pre-University Education) (Recruitment) Rules 2013’.
3. Principals and lecturers of government PU colleges are opposing the move.
4. Currently, separate recruitment rules exist for PU and high school staff.
5. The Karnataka State Pre-University Colleges Lecturers’ Association has alleged that the proposed amendments will threaten academic discipline and departmental autonomy.
6. In 2022, a similar attempt to amend the rules was abandoned following opposition.
7. The government plans to start 900 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) across the State from the next academic year, bringing the total to 1,309.