Karnataka to upgrade 1000 government schools into bilingual public schools

The Karnataka State Government has decided to upgrade and develop 1,000 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) over the next two years. These upgrades will target areas within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), as well as gram panchayats and urban local bodies across the state that currently lack these institutions. The initiative will leverage Community and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCSR) funds and establish specialized monitoring committees to oversee the development.

To facilitate this expansion, the government has set up a structured monitoring system. The Karnataka State CCSR Monitoring Committee will be headed by the Chief Minister, with the Deputy Chief Minister serving as the vice-chairman. Ministers and senior officers will serve as members of this committee.

Additionally, specialized cells are being established at different administrative levels. The School Education CCSR Cell will be chaired by the Departmental Commissioner, while the District CCSR Cell will be led by the District Collector. For the local metropolitan region, the GBA CCSR Cell will be chaired by the GBA Chief Commissioner.

Under the new guidelines, donor organizations and corporate contributors will be allowed to co-brand their organizations with the names of the schools they establish and support. This partnership model aims to scale up the KPS network across the state.

Currently, there are 325 KPS schools operational in Karnataka. During the current academic year, the government has already initiated steps to develop 500 KPS clusters using approximately ₹2,000 crore in assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The state's government schools and pre-university colleges serve about four million students from Class 1 to 12. The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) is spearheading these efforts to improve overall learning quality.

Each KPS facility is designed to accommodate approximately 1,200 students from eight to 15 surrounding villages. These schools offer bilingual education in Kannada and English from pre-school to Class 12, with a focus on computer literacy, industry-related skill education, and special preparation classes for competitive examinations.

The government's ultimate objective is to establish one KPS school in every Gram Panchayat in Karnataka, accompanied by free school transport services to ensure accessibility. During the 2024-25 financial year, over ₹352 crore in CCSR contributions have already been disbursed for infrastructure development, teacher training, and digital education support.