Bengaluru students to get 4 extra marks, if parents vote
Bengaluru schools are attempting to change the image of the city infamous for its low voter turnout. Students whose parents will vote in the upcoming Karnataka elections on May 12 will get up to 4 marks in their assessment, 2 for each parent. Students of Class 10 and pre-primary grades will instead get lucky draw rewards, since marks cannot be awarded to them.
It's not just Bengaluru, private schools affiliated to state board all across Karnataka have also decided to follow this. After casting the vote, parents can visit the school immediately or wait for it to open (schools will remain closed for the polls). They will be given a form to fill up, after which the student will get the extra marks in their internal assessments.
Almost 3,000 member schools have agreed to implement this move, said KAMS general secretary D. Shashi Kumar. "As school managements, it is our responsibility to instill among students a sense of democracy," he added. Some schools have also asked the parents to send their inked finger's photo on WhatsApp. During the 2015-BBMP elections, a particular Bengaluru school was the first to successfully try this.
In 2013, Bengaluru recorded abysmal 57.38% turnout, as against state-wide turnout of 71.45%. To change that, this step is a good one. However, Lucknow schools had started it way back in 2014, when students got 10 bonus marks, and that too in final exams.
