5 months ago
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Despite opposition, the Karnataka authorities has issued orders to commencement 700 authorities schools crossed the State arsenic KPS Magnet Schools successful the adjacent 2 years.
The authorities had announced that it volition commencement 900 KPS Magnet Schools crossed the States.
Out of this, steps person been taken to make 500 KPS Magnet Schools successful 2025-26 and 2026-27, nether the State Budget assistance and an Asian Development Bank loan, and an bid successful this respect was issued connected October 15, 2025. In Kalyana Karnataka, it has been decided to upgrade 200 KPS Magnet Schools with the assistance of the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB), and an bid successful this respect was issued connected November 29, 2025. The authorities has decided to make each schoolhouse astatine a outgo of ₹2 crore to ₹4 crore.
There are astir 47,493 authorities schools and pre-university colleges successful Karnataka. Of these, 19,603 are superior schools, 21,676 are precocious superior schools, 4,895 are precocious schools, and 1,319 are pre-university colleges. Currently, 309 schools person a combined strategy from LKG to people 12.
The enrolment of students successful authorities schools has declined from 47.1 lakh successful 2015-16 to 38.2 lakh successful 2025-26 (19% less). The stock of authorities schools successful the full enrolment has declined from 46% to 38%. However, the stock of backstage unaided schools has accrued from 36.3 lakh students successful 2015-16 to 47 lakh (29%) successful 2025-26. The fig of authorities schools with an enrolment of 50 oregon little students has accrued to 25,683 successful 2025-26.
The existent gross enrolment ratio (GER) is 98.65% successful the little primary, 99.79% successful the precocious primary, and 96.08% successful precocious schools. The drop-out complaint is 2.50% successful little primary, 2.91% successful precocious primary, and 22.88% successful precocious schools.
It has been observed that determination is simply a important alteration successful the fig of students progressing to the precocious schoolhouse level from the superior stage.
“In this context, 1 betterment strategy that has been initiated to amended the prime of pupil learning and summation pupil enrollment is the KPS Magnet Schools. These schools supply acquisition from pre-primary to people 12 nether 1 roof. The KPS scheme, which started with 176 schools successful 2018-19, has present been extended to 309 schools crossed the State,” reads the order.
School merger
KPS Magnet Schools person been identified successful each clump utilizing a scoring method based connected people coverage, enrolment, location, and infrastructure. It aims to make composite and assets schools with a minimum spot of 1,200 students to code the problems of tiny schools.
It has been decided to merge tiny authorities schools wrong a radius of 1 to 5 km and transportation each their teachers to KPS Magnet Schools. Vehicle facilities volition beryllium provided to bring the children to these schools.
The authorities has besides taken indispensable steps to amend the cadre and recruitment rules of teachers and lecturers to theses schools and stated that these schools volition beryllium strengthened by outsourcing schoolhouse management, allowing schools to rise money from their ain sources, providing money postulation options, and establishing schoolhouse absorption committees.
Opposition
But determination has been beardown absorption from the public, pupil organisations, and educationists to the merger.
The government’s determination to merge 7 authorities schools successful the vicinity with the KPS Magnet School successful Honganuru, Channapatna taluk, Bengaluru South district, arsenic a aviator task has been powerfully opposed by the locals, and protests person intensified.
School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa, successful his reply successful the Belagavi league connected Monday, said that nary authorities schoolhouse successful the State volition beryllium closed. “We volition proceed the authorities schoolhouse adjacent if determination is 1 student. KPS Magnet Schools are being started for prime education,” helium added.
Student organisations person urged the authorities to contented an authoritative bid successful this regard. “The government’s orders accidental 1 thing, and the Minister’s connection says another. What should the nationalist believe? The State authorities should instantly retreat the merger clause mentioned successful its orders and contented a written bid promising that schools with debased enrolment volition not beryllium closed successful the sanction of merging,” said Ajay Kamath, State secretary, AIDSO.
The All India Save Education Committee excessively has demanded the withdrawal of the orders.
