The Education Department’s announcement that existing government schools would be upgraded into Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) has drawn flak from educationists. They allege that on the pretext of starting a KPS and calling it a magnet school, the department is closing down government schools within 5km of the magnet school.
Last month, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa announced that 800 government schools would be upgraded into Karnataka Public Schools. He mentioned starting LKG to Class 12 under one roof so that students remain in the same school. Education would be in bilingual medium, and students can choose English or Kannada as the medium of instruction.
Mass mergers begin: Schools to be shut, students issued TCs
A set of documents and letters obtained by the TNIE states that seven government schools — four higher primary schools and three primary schools in and around Channapatna taluk in Bengaluru South — would be merged into one school, Honganuru Karnataka Public School, and teachers will be deputed. A meeting will be conducted with parents and SDMC members regarding the merger of the seven schools. Students will be provided with Transfer Certificates on the closure of the seven schools.
Similarly, 19 government schools in a 5km radius of the new KPS will be closed and merged into one in Chikkaballapur district. Officials from various departments of Bagepalli, Chikkaballapur, Chintamani, Gauribidanur, Gudibande and Sidlaghatta taluk have been told to conduct a meeting with parents and SDMC members.
Experts slam move as NEP-style merger in disguise
Education expert Dr Niranjanaradhya VP criticised the government’s move to shut down existing schools and start public schools. “Instead of providing quality infrastructure, education and qualified teachers for the existing schools, they have decided to merge them into one school. The Congress government was against the National Education Policy but what is it doing now? NEP speaks of merger of schools,” he said.
He highlighted the dangers of giving students the option to exit from Class 10 and 12 in KPS schools. “The government order talks about starting vocational training from Class 6 itself. The curriculum will be conducted under PPP model, in collaboration with private employers, and a certificate of vocational training will be issued.”
‘ADB loan is trojan horse for corporate takeover’
Allamaprabhu Bettaduru, former principal in a government college in Koppal, said, “Asian Development Bank’s Rs 2,000 crore loan is a Trojan horse for the corporate takeover of Karnataka’s public education. The government’s decision to establish 500 KPS is not a renewal, but a death knell for public education in Karnataka.”
The Karnataka State Child Commission for Protection of Child Rights filed a suo motu case against the education department for closing down existing government schools.
Urdu schools to get KPS upgrade too
The Department of School Education and Literacy has decided to upgrade 100 Government Urdu Schools on the KPS model, at a total cost of Rs 482.5 crore.
The department has selected Urdu schools that have higher student strength. The schools will have a bilingual medium of instruction, giving students the opportunity to choose either English or Urdu as a medium of instruction.
