Page 24 - EW December 2025

Education News

fessors, and early childhood experts welcomed by teach-
will ensure the syllabus is “grounded ers and parents.
in evidence and responsive to Tamil However, a subse-
Nadu’s social realities.” quent proposal to
However, these are early days. shut down govern-
Now much depends on the next few ment schools within
months — release of the draft curricu- a 5 km circumfer-
lum, the quality of consultations, and ence of a KPS and
practical frameworks the committee merge their students
recommends for teacher training and has drawn flak.
assessment. Middle class households Under a proposed
are keeping their fingers crossed that KPS Magnet Schools
Tamil Nadu’s SEP 2025 and K-12 re- scheme, government
forms will translate into classrooms schools with fewer
where children think critically, ex- than 50 students
plore creatively, and learn without will be merged with
fear. Fear of a wide gap between state- KPS: English-medium option newly-established
ments of intent incorporated into SEP KPS schools.
2025 and the education ministry’s im- riya Vidyalayas (KVs), they provide According to the All India Save
plementation capability is pervasive. superior academic infrastructure, Education Committee (AISEC), a
Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai) rigorous curriculum and well-trained network of academics, teachers and
teachers. More importantly, KPS students, the Congress-led state gov-
KARNATAKA schools offer bilingual instruction ernment is “attempting to dismantle
Under-funded reform — Kannada and English medium the public education system” through
at the option of students. This is a
the KPS Magnet Schools scheme.
departure from state government Comments Allamaprabhu Betta-
gainst the backdrop of a schools in which English is taught dur, president of AISEC: “The KPS
top-level leadership tussle as a language with Kannada as the scheme funded from a Rs.2,000-
Abetween Chief Minister medium of instruction. Currently, crore loan from the Asian Develop-
Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. 308 KPS schools with an aggregate ment Bank is a cover for shutting
Shivakumar for the chief minister’s enrolment of 2.83 lakh students are down around 7,000 government
chair, the Congress-led state govern- operational statewide. schools. It’s death knell for public
ment is proceeding with several According to the state’s school education in Karnataka.”
school education “reform” initiatives. education minister Madhu Ban- imilarly, the All-India Demo-
In early October, it issued a garappa, upgradation will cost the Scratic Students’ Organisation
Government Order (GO) reducing exchequer Rs.4 crore per institution, (AIDSO) has strongly opposed the
the minimum average pass marks with 500 schools to be funded by the KPS Magnet School scheme. “The
required to clear the state’s class Asian Development Bank, 200 by task of the government is not to shut
X SSLC (Secondary School Leav- the Kalyan Karnataka Development down but to strengthen every govern-
ing Certificate) exam from 35 to 33 Board, and 100 by the Karnataka ment school by equipping them with
percent, and the pass average for II Mining Environment Restoration adequate teachers, infrastructure,
PUC (Pre-University Class i.e, class Corporation. “KPS schools offer learning materials, and democratic
XII) exam from 35 to 30 percent. education from pre-primary to II functioning. Education is a funda-
Subsequently on October 15, the PUC (class XII) in one institution. mental right and a social responsi-
Department of School Education and Parents have the option of enrolling bility — it cannot be sacrificed for
Literacy (DSEL) announced a plan to their children in Kannada or English cost-cutting, corporate-style manage-
upgrade 800 (out of a total 49,300) medium. You will see a significant ment. This is nothing but another at-
government schools across the state change in two to three years. People tempt to merge and shut down exist-
into Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). will be eager to send their children ing government schools in the guise
Launched in 2018-19, KPS schools to government schools,” Bangarappa of a new scheme. It will increase
are well-equipped K-12 institutions informed media persons, adding that the number of dropouts, especially
affiliated with the Karnataka Second- the long-term plan is to establish among girl students, because of their
ary Education Examination Board. 6,000 KPS schools statewide — one having to commute longer distances
Modeled on the highly-reputed in every gram panchayat. to KPS schools. This will also result
Central government-run Kend- Initially the KPS initiative was in further commercialisation and

24 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2025