1,400 model schools identified across Karnataka to improve quality of education
The model schools have been identified in each hobli (cluster of adjoining villages) of the state, the officials said.
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Earlier, the model school concept received stiff opposition from critics and political parties who raised concerns of government schools shutting down with the introduction of model schools. (File) According to officials in the school education department, the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka (SSK) has identified around 1,400 schools in Karnataka as model schools to roll out quality interventions to improve the overall quality of education in the schools.
The model schools have been identified in each hobli (cluster of adjoining villages) of the state, the officials said. The schools will benefit from programmes like the implementation of the National Education Policy (2020), have more teachers, will see introduction of early childhood care education and have improved infrastructure within available resources among other things.
Although the model schools will not be allocated any separate funds, SSK is planning to improve the quality of education with the existing resources in these 1,400 schools. “Some schools in the state have less than 20 or 30 students with no teachers. By identifying model schools, such students can opt to seek admission in a better school,” said an education official.
Last week, the fourth and fifth reports of the Second Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission were submitted to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The report recommended that for an easy transition to schools, the identified 6,307 Anganwadi centres working in rented buildings located within a distance of 300 metre from the nearest government school building may be shifted to the school building if the required space is available.
In order to reduce the dropout rate, the report recommended that 3,457 Government Lower Primary Schools (LPSs) and Higher Primary Schools (HPSs) located within a distance of 100 metre of one another may be merged into 1,667 Higher Primary Schools. In addition, it also stated that 2,460 LPSs, HPSs and High Schools (HSs) within 100 metre of one another may be merged into 1,135 Composite/Cluster High Schools or Karnataka Public Schools (KPS).
“To reduce dropout rate, orders may be issued for doing away with the need for taking Transfer Certificate and admission three times for a child to progress from Class 1 to Class 12 for schools that are in KPS and Cluster schools,” the report said.
Earlier, the model school concept received stiff opposition from critics and political parties who raised concerns of government schools shutting down with the introduction of model schools.
Education experts and opposition parties pointed out that instead of improving the developed schools and creating model schools, the government should increase the funds to improve the existing schools that are in a dire state. In addition, parents also feared that with model schools being identified at the hobli level, the transportation and accessibility factor will be a problem.
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