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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
No govt. or Kannada medium school will be shutdown: Madhu Bangarappa
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa has said that no schools —government and Kannada medium— in the State would be closed for any reason. 'Government and Kannada medium schools in the State will not be closed for any reason. We have deputed teachers and mid-day meals workers in schools with zero admission to other schools. If students enroll, we will restart those schools,' said the Minister. During an interaction with The Hindu, he said that there were many schools in the State where only one student was enrolled, which were also not closed. 'We have not closed any Kannada medium schools and have emphasised on starting bilingual classes,' he said. Mr. Bangarappa said that steps have been taken to open school clusters on the model of Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). 'There are about 308 KPS schools across the state, and there is a huge demand for these schools from students and parents. In this context, it has also been considered to open school clusters and provide free transport facilities to students,' he said. Bilingual schools Mr. Bangarappa further said that in 2023, the State government started 1000 bilingual schools, and they were such a big success that the State Budget of 2025-26 announced the setting up of another 4000 bilingual schools and that they were already sanctioned. 'To provide quality English education in government schools, the English Medium Teacher Induction Program (EMTIP) is being provided to teachers of classes 1 to 4, in association with Azim Premji Foundation, and 20,000 teachers have already been trained in English. It ensures access to English language education for students of all sections of society. And, Spoken English classes are being conducted for students from classes 1 to 8 in all government schools. Modules have been prepared for each class, and KPS teachers have been trained at Regional Institute of English (RIE). So far 38,56,826 students benefited from this,' he said. KG classes The minister further said that the LKG and UK classes started in government schools were a big success. 'We have started LKG-UKG classes in 5000 government schools across the State this year, and the response has been great,' he said, adding that the lack of LKG-UG classes in government schools was pushing parents to admit their children in private schools. 'The Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) in Kalyana Karnataka established 1,008 pre-primary schools last year, almost towards the beginning of the admission season. In just 4 days, 40,000 children got admissions into these schools,' he said. CSR funds not been collected at the expected level Mr. Bangarappa said that the plan to start two model schools in every gram panchayat with the help of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds by corporate companies was not successful. 'We had a plan to collect around ₹2,500 crore CSR fund to build 500 model schools across the State. But, companies in the Bengaluru region are not coming forward to build schools in remote villages. Therefore, we have started a project called Our School-Our Responsibility and have given the responsibility to the Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Zilla Panchayat of the respective districts to contact the companies under their jurisdiction and obtain CSR funds and start model schools,' he said. Teachers recruitment Speaking about the teachers' recruitment, Mr. Bangarappa said that the Chief Minister had announced to recruit 10,267 teachers this year. In addition, the government has approved the filling of 5,000 teacher posts in aided schools and 800 lecturer posts in Government Pre-University Colleges, he added and said the recruitment process will begin as soon as internal reservation among Scheduled Castes is finalised. Fostering constitutional values The Minister said around 1.04 crore students of government, aided, and unaided schools were now reading the Constitution's preamble daily, helping in instilling in them constitutional values. He further said the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) is observing the Gandhi Bharath year through special initiatives to commemorate the centenary of the 1924 Congress session in Belagavi. 'All textbooks have a logo saying Gandhi Bharath on its cover page and seven social sins, written by Mahatma Gandhi on the backside,' he said.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Doctor donates ₹14 crore, transforms government school in Karnataka's Bengaluru South district
Those who believe that government schools are inferior to private ones in terms of infrastructure and teaching facilities will change their opinion if they come across this Karnataka Public School (KPS) located in Honganuru village of Channapatna taluk in Bengaluru South district. This government school is on a par with any international school in Bengaluru, as the 50-room school has about 40 computers, maths and science labs, digital teaching boards, a well-equipped library, and sports facilities among others. Earlier, this school was no different from any other government school of rural areas. But the transformation was possible due to the initiative of medical entrepreneur H.M. Venkatappa, a doctor and alumnus of this school, who contributed ₹14 crore to construct a new building and set up the required infrastructure. A befitting tribute 'I studied in this school from from the first to the eighth standard between 1949 and 1957. The teachers of this school were instrumental in shaping the foundation for my educational career. I went on to complete MBBS and MD, although I hailed from an ordinary family, associated with agriculture. The then head master of the school, a Gandhian, inspired me a lot. I decided to rebuild and modernise this school to mark my association with it and also to ensure that poor students from rural areas get access to high quality education free of cost,' said the 79-year-old doctor, who has set up the Kanva Diagnostics Services Private Limited after retiring from government service. The old building on four-and-a-half acres of land was fully demolished in June 2022, and two new buildings were built in the next two-and-a-half years. The school has been turned into a KPS comprising LKG/UKG to II PU, offering both Kannada and English medium. The school, named after Dr. Venkatappa's parents Chennamma and Manche Gowda, has already commenced its operations from this academic year. The new school has already become so popular that the student strength has increased by 150 to 200 this year, taking the total number of students to around 800 at a time when government schools in general are reporting a massive drop in enrolment. In addition to the one-time contribution of ₹14 crore, Dr. Venkatappa has also decided to make an annual contribution of around ₹10 lakh to take care of the maintenance of the school. As the school would have to hire guest teachers, he has decided to pay an additional ₹5,000 per head, apart from the monthly honorarium of ₹12,500 to be given by the government. Inauguration today The new school will be inaugurated formally by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday at a programme being organised by the State government. Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa said his department would try to get more such contributions through the involvement of School Development Monitoring Committees to improve other government schools as well.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
DK Shivakumar signals free travel for Karnataka Public School boys, transport minister says it's just a proposal
Bengaluru: Will the Shakti scheme, which facilitates free bus travel for women, be extended to male passengers? An announcement made by deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has sparked speculation over the possibility of free bus travel for boys. On Friday, the DCM took to social media to announce that kids studying in Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), from LKG to pre-university level, would be provided free bus travel. He stated the move is aimed at empowering govt schools and offering financial support to students from poor families. However, transport minister Ramalinga Reddy maintained it is just a proposal, and free bus travel for boys will be implemented only if the govt agrees to reimburse the cost of providing the facility. "It is just a proposal made by the DCM. The road transport corporations haven't received any formal instructions in this regard. Any govt scheme requires approval from the state cabinet. Before that, the departments concerned, including the finance department, must agree after reviewing the financial implications," he explained. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The state has 308 Karnataka Public Schools, gaining popularity because English is the medium of instruction. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 나를 빛나게 해줄 예쁜 마음, 예쁜 팔찌 유니세프 지금 기부하기 Undo In the past two years, the four RTCs — KSRTC, BMTC, KKRTC, and NWKRTC — have issued 497 crore tickets to women availing free bus travel under the Shakti scheme. The corporations spent over Rs 12,593 crore to provide the free service. For male students, RTCs have been issuing concessional bus passes with a nominal processing fee. More than 23 lakh student bus passes have been issued in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Shivakumar's announcement on KPS students has evoked mixed reactions, with many arguing the benefit should be extended to all boys, including those studying in private as well as other govt-run schools and colleges. Others suggest the govt should prioritise improving infrastructure in govt schools and filling vacant teacher posts first.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
State govt. announces ‘Free Transport Bhagya' for Karnataka Public Schools students
With an aim to increase the attendance and quality of education in government schools, the State government has decided to provide 'Free Transport Bhagya' to students of Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) across the State. Focus on quality Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced this on Friday through his 'X' account. 'The government is committed to the bright future of government school children. The State government has decided to start a free bus facility for students studying from LKG to PUC in KPSes across the State, giving major emphasis to strengthening government schools. This is an important thought by the government to empower the children of the poor academically and financially. The government has taken a bold step to empower government schools,' he stated. However, Mr. Shivakumar did not clarify whether separate buses will be arranged for KPS students under this scheme or free bus passes will be given. To provide quality education from class 1 to II PUC under one roof by effectively utilizing the available resources, the State government had started a total of 276 KPSes for the first time in 2017-18. Currently, a total of 308 KPSes are functioning across the State and teaching is being done from Pre-Primary (LKG) to II PUC. In addition, bilingual classes, including Kannada and English medium, have been started in all KPSes. Huge demand There is huge demand for these schools across the State, and there were instances of parents bringing recommendation letters from local MLAs and public representatives for enrollment in some schools in Bengaluru last year. The number of students in most KPSes has exceeded 2,000. Earlier, the maximum enrollment limit for each class in KPS was 30 students. Given the high demand from students and parents, the maximum limit for pre-primary classes in KPS has been increased to 40 from the academic year of 2025-26, and the maximum limit for primary and high school classes has been increased to 50 students. Cabinet has to decide, insists Reddy Even as the Deputy Chief Minister announced free bus rides for KPS students, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that his department had not received any official order or request from the government or the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) in this regard. 'This decision should be taken in the State Cabinet, then steps will be taken to implement the scheme,' he said, adding that the government will have to bear the cost. 'Free bus travel is already available to all girls and women under the Shakti scheme. Therefore, this will also be applicable to girls of KPS schools. However, we do not have any information about the number of boys in these schools. All the boy students travel in State transport buses using school or college bus passes. We don't know the number of KPS students who have bus passes. Appropriate action will be taken for implementation after receiving a request from the DSEL,' he said.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- The Hindu
Karnataka Public School in K.R. Pet found charging annual fee for students
Despite the promise of providing free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 6 and 14 years in government schools, some Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) in the State have been found charging fees for students ranging from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 per annum. Parents of KPS at K.R. Pet in Mandya district have alleged that the school is charging students in English medium section as per the decision of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC). Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of K.R. Pet, H.T. Manju, is the Chairman of the SDMC. Parents and a member of the SDMC of the school have complained to the Block Education Officer (BEO) of the K.R. Pet taluk, but no action has been taken even after a month, they alleged. The State government started KPS across the State from 2018-19 to teach from pre-primary to class 12 under one roof. These schools offer bilingual classes, including English medium, from the pre-primary section. The governmenthas issued an order and framed separate regulations for the SDMCs of KPS . Accordingly, it has been suggested to form an SDMC consisting of a total of 16 parents in schools with more than 1,023 children. This SDMC is chaired by the local MLA. Several sub-committees have been formed for the development of the school, and the SDMC can accept donations from the public and donors and carry out the development of the school. Responding to the issue, K.V. Trilokchandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction, said, 'It is completely against the rules to charge annual fees from government school children. I have instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya district to investigate this issue and submit a report. Based on the report, action will be taken against the culprits.' Violation of rules However, the SDMC of the KPS in K.R. Pet held a meeting and took a decision to collect fees from the children, and it was found that the fees were being collected illegally every year. While some students were given receipts in the name of the schools, some receipts were in the name of a private coaching centre. Some students were also asked to deposit the fees directly into the joint bank accounts of the school principal and the SDMC chairman. 'As per the Right to Education Act-2009, free and compulsory education should be provided to children between the ages of 6 and 14 in all government schools. However, in our KPS, a fee of ₹3,600 has been collected for LKG students, ₹2,600 from UKG students and ₹5,300 for English medium students from classes 1 to 7,' alleged a parent. Parents allege that many KPS in the Mandya district have also charged annual fees to children. 'The SDMC has no right to fix fees in the government schools. Most of the children studying in government schools are economically and socially backward, and they are being deprived of education. Even after complaining to the BEO about this, no action has been taken. the government should immediately conduct an investigation and take legal action against the SDMCs that are collecting fees from school children,' urged another parent. Huge demand Speaking to The Hindu, Puligeraiah, in-charge principal of the school in K.R. Pete, said, 'The previous principal retired from service on June 30, 2025, and I have been working as the in-charge principal since July 1. So, I do not know much about the issue. There are a total of 2,384 children in our school. We have a limitation of only 30 children to be admitted for the LKG English medium section. However, due to the huge demand, additional sections have been started. Additional teachers and staff have been recruited for this. In this context, the decision to charge fees from the children may have been taken.'
