As Karnataka braces for a statewide bandh on August 13 over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, KAMS has backed down from earlier advice that schools should remain closed during the protest. This is because schools would lose valuable academic days in that way, and many schools are already facing teacher shortages and administrative issues.
As KAMS said in a statement ahead of the bandh, it supports Karnataka in its efforts to protect the state’s interests in the Cauvery water dispute, but educational development should not be affected. The association said keeping schools open would be a more responsible approach: students should be allowed to continue to study, but they should also know what is going on in the area and the issue affecting the state’s interests as well.
The organisation said there are already several aided and private schools struggling with staffing shortages and extending programs and education and administrative activities. Closing schools for a day would affect school days and learning in general. Therefore, KAMS decided to revoke its earlier suggestion and recommend that schools continue with normal operations provided that local safety conditions are met.
KAMS has suggested symbolic and peaceful measures to show solidarity with the state’s concerns about water sharing. On the day of the bandh, school management, teaching staff, and non-teaching employees are encouraged to wear black badges or black ribbons. Such acts would demonstrate support for Karnataka’s cause without disrupting classroom activities or students’ education.
KAMS has also suggested schools use the occasion as an educational opportunity. The association recommended that institutions hold age-appropriate discussions about the Cauvery dispute during school assemblies or classroom sessions for students from Classes 5 to 12. These conversations can help students understand the history of the dispute, Karnataka’s dependence on Cauvery water for drinking purposes, agriculture, and livelihoods, and the challenges of drought, insufficient rainfall, and water scarcity.
The association recommended that schools educate students on broader topics surrounding water conservation and sustainable water management. Teachers can explain constitutional processes, judicial decisions, interstate cooperation, and peaceful democratic expression in disputes between states. KAMS believes that these kinds of discussions will help students become responsible citizens.
As part of awareness-building activities, schools may encourage students to create posters or write letters addressed to courts or tribunals to share their views on equitable water sharing. But the emphasis must be educational and balanced rather than political. KAMS stressed that all activities in schools should be peaceful, informative, and free from partisan influence.
The association said students should not be forced to protest or participate in protests or demonstrations that might affect their safety, emotional health, or routine of studying. Schools should consider students’ welfare and choose when to attend or not in the schools based on local law-and-order conditions and safety assessments, the association said.
KAMS said that keeping schools open while educating students on Karnataka’s water problems is a more meaningful way to show solidarity. Schools can contribute to positive public discussion about the Cauvery issue by raising awareness and understanding rather than disruption.
Meanwhile, the association is demanding that the government and bandh organisers prepare for the safety of both bus drivers, students, as well as teachers and staff with police protection in the wake of the protest. Given that transport services and public movement on the bandh day are uncertain, educational institutions will need to keep an eye on the situation in the locality and be aware of the situation in order to act immediately.
As Karnataka goes through another chapter in the Cauvery water dispute, schools across the state will still be in operation, and they will be going on as they must address academic needs and to raise awareness about the most pressing water-sharing issues in the area.
