The BJP government is staring at a fresh controversy by introducing vedic mathematics for SC/ST children studying classes 5-8 in one district, angering academicians and Dalit groups.
The government is implementing this in one district using 25 per cent of gram panchayat funds meant for SC/ST welfare.
According to a government note, private player AVM Academy based out of Hiriyur in Chitradurga has been entrusted with the teaching of vedic mathematics. This is based on a request submitted by the academy.
"The AVM Academy will teach Vedic Maths along with appropriate uniform for 25 SC/ST students in class V to VIII from each gram panchayat," note issued by the Department of School Education & Literacy.
Apparently, the Academy started training teachers as resource persons in January 2022 at various districts. Teachers who are trained by the academy will teach vedic maths for 16 weeks - two hours on every Saturday and Sunday.
Senior academic VP Niranjanaradhya fumed at the decision of the government.
“Teaching vedic maths to schoolchildren will create confusion as they are already learning maths in a scientific way. Maths is not magic; it is a pure science and should be learned logically with reason. Vedic maths has no logic," he said. "The government is implementing unwanted programmes only on government schoolchildren. This is the real saffronization of our education system," he said.
This has all indications of snowballing into a larger controversy for the BJP government, which only recently moved on from a pensive debate over revising content in school textbooks.