Rural students in Karnataka who travel to Bengaluru for better education might soon have a reason to smile. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar suggested a plan to create 2000 schools in village areas (gram panchayats) over the next three years. This would be done by teaming up with private partners through a public-private partnership (PPP). Shivakumar shared this idea at the ‘CSR Conclave – Education Make a Social Impact’ event held in Bengaluru by the Karnataka government.
“Nurturing Future Education: Public-Private Partnership for 2000 New Schools in Karnataka”
Shivakumar has asked private schools, big education players, and companies to support the growth of these schools in the next few years. He promised that the government is prepared to provide two acres of land for this purpose. These schools will be a collaboration between private school leaders and the government.
“We’re reaching out to big companies, asking for their financial help to construct 2000 schools. Private schools in Karnataka will step up to take care of these schools. They’ll provide everything needed, like teachers and materials. We’re grouping two-three panchayats together, and companies will get their own special school setup,” explained Shivakumar.
He also mentioned, “The schools will be built with affiliations to CBSE, ICSE, and state boards. Private schools are required to take responsibility for supporting one school each. The fees will be affordable. These fresh schools will have both private and government teachers working together.”
“Government and Corporations Collaborate to Boost Karnataka Education Funds”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Higher Education Minister Dr. MC Sudhakar, Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil, along with representatives from corporations including JSW, Volvo, Toyota Kirloskar, HDFC Bank, Dell, and Asian Paints, attended the event. The main goal of the event was to encourage additional funds from corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for the improvement of public schools and to enhance the portion of CSR funds dedicated to education in Karnataka. As per official data from the state government, funding of Rs 40,000 crore is necessary to support both the education and higher education sectors in Karnataka.
“Karnataka Tops CSR Funding: Education, Health, and Environment Gain”
According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Karnataka has received the largest share of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds in the field of education, amounting to a significant Rs 3,667 crore between 2016 and 2022. Following closely is the health sector with Rs 1,772 crore, and the environment sector with Rs 958 crore.
For the ongoing year, an estimated sum of Rs 1,500 crore has been earmarked for educational initiatives in Karnataka. This funding will be channeled towards various projects in higher education. The government aims to utilize these CSR funds to support the adoption of unitary universities, establish multi-institutional research centers, promote incubation centers within universities, drive clean and sustainable environmental initiatives, and create digital libraries, among other endeavors.
“Educational Revamp: Companies and Government Partner for Better Schools”
According to the Education Minister, Mr. Bangarappa, companies have an important part to play in filling the holes in school facilities, learning resources, and student nutrition to enhance both learning and student health. The education department has also pinpointed 1000 schools with the highest number of students in the entire state. These schools have the potential to become special centers of excellence known as Karnataka Public Schools. Additionally, the department plans to establish a KPS in each Hobli (750 in total) and gram panchayat (6000 in total).