Latest news with #KarnatakaStateEducationPolicyCommission
Deccan Herald
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Karnataka Education Policy Commission proposes sweeping overhaul
The Karnataka State Education Policy Commission has called for a sweeping overhaul of the state's education system, proposing structural reforms from pre-primary to professional courses, tighter regulation of private institutions, and a substantial increase in government spending on education. The Commission's chairperson Prof Sukhadeo Thorat on Friday submitted his final report in three volumes to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sources in the office of Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar said. The 17-member Commission, which also comprises six subject experts, advisors, and one member-secretary, was formed to formulate an education policy. According to a note issued by Sudhakar's office, the panel has proposed adoption of a 2+8+4 system in school education -- two years of pre-primary, eight years of primary, and four years of secondary education -- coupled with a firm emphasis on Kannada or the mother tongue as the medium of instruction up to class five in all board schools. In its report, the commission recommended that school education be complemented by a bilingual policy pairing Kannada or the mother tongue with English, ensuring children are rooted in their linguistic heritage while gaining access to global language skills. It has also called for residential schools for children from migrant families, a gradual extension of the Right to Education Act to cover those aged between four and eighteen, and the universalisation of secondary education across Karnataka.
Hans India
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
State Education Policy Commission submits final report
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Education Policy Commission (SEP) has submitted its final report to the state government, proposing significant reforms in school and higher education as an alternative to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Headed by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, the commission has recommended a 2+8+4 structure in school education, a bilingual policy (Kannada/mother tongue and English), and several other measures aimed at improving access, quality, and inclusivity. Under the 2+8+4 formula, students would undergo two years of pre-primary, eight years of primary, and four years of secondary education. The commission suggested setting up residential schools for migrant children, universalising secondary education across the state, and establishing new schools in areas without bus connectivity. It recommended making Kannada or the mother tongue compulsory as the medium of instruction up to Class 5 in all boards, alongside English in a bilingual model. Other proposals include attaching two-year pre-primary programmes to primary schools, reopening closed schools due to low enrolment, and extending the Right to Education Act to cover children aged 4 to 18. The commission also advised upgrading government school quality to Kendriya Vidyalaya standards, setting up development centres in every taluk, and introducing comprehensive continuous evaluation (CCSE). It called for ending NCERT curriculum adoption, localising subjects, halting contractual teacher appointments, and prioritising urgent school repairs. The report emphasised cultural and vocational integration through theatre, music, and sports, increasing education spending to 30 per cent of the state budget, and making constitutional values compulsory in education. Special measures were recommended for low-income Muslim students, rural Muslim girls, and to prevent child marriages. For higher education, the commission proposed gradually increasing expenditure to 4 per cent of GSDP for education and 1 per cent for higher education by 2034–35, continuing pre-NEP re-entry policies, allowing postgraduate admissions from any state university, reserving 50 per cent seats under affiliation rules, making a second language course mandatory, introducing integrated 5-year degree-postgraduate programmes, phasing in bilingual teaching, and incorporating comprehensive sex education at the pre-university level.
Indian Express
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka state education policy calls to scrap NCERT, proposes reservation in private institutions
The Karnataka State Education Policy Commission, headed by economist and former UGC Chairman Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, Friday formally submitted the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The commission has recommended several reforms in both school education and higher education tailored specific to Karnataka's socio-cultural, linguistic and economic realities- independent of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Under school education, in a major departure from NEP 2020, Karnataka plans to localize curriculum content, moving away from a reliance on NCERT textbooks and instead developing a Comprehensive Curriculum for School Education (CCSE). The state will also regulate private pre-primary schools through a separate framework and introduce a dedicated regulator for private schools in view of concerns linked to high admission fees, age restriction criteria among others. Further, the report proposes a structural overhaul, replacing the NEP's 5+3+3+4 model with a simplified 2+8+4 framework: two years of pre-primary, eight years of primary, and four years of secondary education. Notably, it mandates that Kannada or the mother tongue be the medium of instruction up to Class 5 across all school boards, including CBSE and ICSE, a step in line with NEP 2020. The latter recommends that the medium of instruction in schools should be the home language, mother tongue, local language, or regional language up to at least Grade 5, and preferably up to Class 8. Karnataka's model also introduces a two-language education policy, where Kannada or the mother tongue is taught alongside English, reflective of Siddaramaiah's objection to three language policy citing 'Hindi imposition'. Significantly, the commission also proposes increasing the education budget to 30 per cent of the state's total expenditure, with a planned 5–10 per cent annual increase in per-student spending. It also recommends the establishment of the Karnataka State Open School System, designed to offer flexible learning options for dropouts and working students, and makes Constitutional Values Education a compulsory subject across all schools. The policy has proposed a significant recommendation to extend the state's reservation policy to private unaided institutions, including universities, deemed universities, and autonomous colleges. Citing Article 15 (5) of the Constitution, the commission has called for the implementation of SC/ST/OBC reservations in admissions within these institutions. The policy also recommends that all admissions in private institutions be brought under a transparent, merit-based and regulated framework, to safeguard against exclusion and ensure accountability. Further, the commission departs from NEP's uniform 4-year degree model by recommending a 3+2 structure for general education (3-year undergraduate + 2-year postgraduate) and a 4+2 model for professional programs. This maintains the state's pre-NEP flexibility while still enabling interdisciplinary and modular learning. Postgraduate admissions will be opened up across state universities, and interestingly the policy also proposes bilingual teaching where Kannada (or another regional/mother tongue) is used alongside English in higher education institutions. Further, the Commission proposes the identification of State Institutions of Excellence, along with a feasibility-based approach to opening new institutions. It mandates training for all new teachers to be provided through Higher Education Teachers Academy Centers in each department. The policy also recommends offering free higher education for girls across government, aided, and unaided institutions, with financial incentives to delay child marriage. To improve research and innovation, a State Research Foundation with a seed fund of Rs 500 crore is proposed. Karnataka also plans to expand post-matric scholarships, raise income limits to Rs 10 lakh per annum, and establish a State Education Finance Corporation that will offer employment-linked education loans to low-income students. In terms of governance and administration, the policy recommends merging parallel educational bodies under a single unified commissionerate, converting DSERT into an autonomous SCERT to lead curriculum innovation, and reducing the number of regional joint director offices from six to four. It also proposes district-level academic administration units led by educationists, the establishment of Foreign Students Cells in all universities, and the creation of a Karnataka State Quality Assessment Board to help institutions meet and exceed quality benchmarks. Importantly, the policy mandates the filling of all sanctioned teaching posts within five years, and ensures that the vacancy gap remains below 5%. A recruitment model involving KEA-administered exams and university interviews is proposed for Assistant Professors, and a new selection process is outlined for college principals. The Commission officially began its work on November 1, 2023, comprising 17 members, 6 advisors, and a member secretary. It established 35 task forces—16 for school education, 16 for higher education, and 3 for vocational education—engaging a total of 379 experts. These task forces held 132 meetings, and the Commission itself met 42 times, contributing nearly 2,775 man-days of academic and policy effort. The final report is spread across three volumes, consisting of 2,197 pages. The report is expected to be placed before the state cabinet for acceptance before implementation.
News18
08-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
Karnataka Education Policy Commission proposes sweeping education overhaul
Bengaluru, Aug 8 (PTI) The Karnataka State Education Policy Commission has called for a sweeping overhaul of the state's education system, proposing structural reforms from pre-primary to professional courses, tighter regulation of private institutions, and a substantial increase in government spending on education. The Commission's chairperson Prof Sukhadeo Thorat on Friday submitted his final report in three volumes to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the presence of his cabinet colleagues and senior government officers, sources in the office of Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar said. The 17-member Commission, which also comprises six subject experts, advisors, and one member-secretary, was formed to formulate an education policy. According to a note issued by Sudhakar's office, the panel has proposed adoption of a 2+8+4 system in school education — two years of pre-primary, eight years of primary, and four years of secondary education — coupled with a firm emphasis on Kannada or the mother tongue as the medium of instruction up to class five in all board schools. In its report, the commission recommended that school education be complemented by a bilingual policy pairing Kannada or the mother tongue with English, ensuring children are rooted in their linguistic heritage while gaining access to global language skills. It has also called for residential schools for children from migrant families, a gradual extension of the Right to Education Act to cover those aged between four and eighteen, and the universalisation of secondary education across Karnataka. To enhance the educational quality, it proposed ending the state's dependence on National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks in favour of locally developed content, boosting government school standards to the level of Kendriya Vidyalayas, and stopping the appointment of guest or contract teachers. Privatisation, it said, must be checked through a dedicated regulator for private schools, while block education offices should be empowered to make academic decisions. Agencies working in parallel should be merged into an integrated commissionerate, the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) should be transformed into an autonomous State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) with a focus on research and development, and the Directorate of Lifelong Learning revitalised. It also called for raising education's share in the state budget to 30 per cent, ensuring per-student spending grows by five to ten per cent each year. In higher education, the Commission wanted a comprehensive financing framework that guarantees timely and adequate funding, with expenditure on higher education gradually increased to one per cent of Karnataka's GSDP by 2034-35. Further, it recommended raising the share of higher education in the overall education budget between 25 and 30 per cent, and earmarking at least a quarter of this increased funding for infrastructure. For academic structure, it proposed a 3+2 model for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in general education, a 4+2 model for professional courses, and the continuation of the pre-NEP 2020 re-entry policy. The report sought to keep fees in government and aided institutions within reach, regulate private institutions through a permanent mechanism, and extend full fee waivers and scholarships to girls in government, aided, and unaided private colleges. It urged reservation compliance in private unaided institutions, creation of a State Quality Assessment Board, and the filling of all sanctioned teaching posts within five years. The commission advocated for the introduction of short-term diploma and certificate programmes, government-funded internships, and region-specific skill councils led by industry leaders. Emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, life sciences, and nanoscience should be embedded in engineering and polytechnic curricula. Agriculture studies, according to the panel, should begin at school-level and continue into higher education, with opportunities for dual or joint degrees, international internships, and public-private partnerships with foreign universities. PTI GMS GMS ROH (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 08, 2025, 22:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
