BENGALURU: Even as various educationists and child rights organisations are criticising the decision of the state government and department of school education to close more than 25,000 schools and start 800 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) as magnet schools from 2022 to 2025, Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said the department has opened 31 new KPS schools from 2022 to 2025 across the state by merging various primary, high schools and PU colleges.
The minister revealed this data while replying to BJP MLC Hanumanth Nirani and Congress MLC Bilkis Banu, during the ongoing legislative session.
He said no schools are being closed to start new KPS magnet schools. However, the reality on the ground is different. Two of seven government schools in Channapatna taluk were closed and students were shifted to Honganur KPS. The department of school education and literacy issued showcause notice to teachers and principals of the remaining five government schools in Channapatna taluk for failing to convince parents and children to enrol in Honganur KPS magnet school.
The minister said, “Various primary, high schools and PU colleges were merged to start these 31 new KPS schools. The department has started only 35 Urdu medium KPS schools from 2018 to 2025. In 2025-26, around 100 Urdu medium schools and Moulana Azad schools have been upgraded as KPS schools. This makes a total of 131 schools.”
He explained, “No children are forced to enrol in KPS schools. In fact, we see that parents are not financially burdened and education is provided from LKG to PUC 2 in bilingual medium. We also provide skill training courses along with computer courses. The government is also aware that the rate of enrolment has reduced by 11.20 per cent in the past three years. But it is not because of starting or upgrading KPS schools. Parents are attracted to English medium schools and CBSE schools and want to enrol their children, which is why the enrolment percentage has reduced. This is why the government has started bilingual mediums in 9,522 primary schools as well as 6,456 lower primary schools.”
Developmental educationist Dr VP Niranjanaradhya criticised the decision to shut down neighbourhood schools in villages. He said, “What is the real concept of KPS and magnet schools? No one knows what the concept policy is, as no documents containing details of the policy have been provided in public domain. On one hand, the minister is saying in the House that not a single school will be closed.
However, the work of quietly closing down schools in villages by merging them with magnet schools is being done by the officials. The government has failed to consider important factors like the distance of government schools for merger, and whether it violates the concept of the neighbourhood school as defined in the Right to Education.”