Karnataka CM urges private schools to partner with government schools
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar aims to link 1,000 government schools with private institutions to improve rural education quality.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has called on private school managements to collaborate with or adopt government schools in rural areas. Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Namma Shaale Namma Javabdari’ programme at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Shivakumar said the initiative aims to enhance education quality and reduce migration from villages to cities, according to The News Mill.
The Chief Minister stated that a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy has been introduced with an initial target to link 1,000 government schools with private institutions. He noted that the state eventually aims to connect 2,000 schools. To facilitate this, the 6,000 panchayats in the state have been divided into three divisions.
Shivakumar said private managements could select schools based on their financial capacity and convenience. He suggested that instead of large infrastructure projects, schools could provide expert teachers, lab materials, or computers. He mentioned that private schools contributing to development could have their names added to the schools, such as the Hegganur Government Toyota School.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the state has an annual CSR fund of Rs 8,800 crore and has requested companies to prioritise rural primary school development. He also mentioned that the government has taken a Rs 2,000 crore loan from the World Bank for infrastructure development in Karnataka Public Schools (KPS).
Regarding progress, Shivakumar said work has begun in 30 schools in Bengaluru South district, with 10 per cent completed. He also noted that Toyota has assisted in constructing 23 schools in Ramanagara district, investing between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore per school.