BENGALURU: The All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) has sharply criticised the Congress government in the State for its reported decision to “auction” government school buildings under the proposed KPS Magnet School project.
Allamaprabhu Bettadur, AISEC president, alleged that the State’s plan to set up 700 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) with the help of a Rs 2,000-crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a cover for shutting down around 7,000 government schools.
Bettadur said Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa’s recent comments that unused school buildings may be handed over to private registered institutions “has exposed the government’s real agenda”.
He said moves to auction school properties and allow commercial advertising on campuses raise concerns about the misuse of public land.
The committee is of the view that government schools remain the primary avenue of education for children from poor and rural families, especially girls, and auctioning these institutions would harm the public’s access to education.
The AISEC has demanded that the government make public the conditions associated with the ADB loan, questioning whether they require policy changes that favour private or corporate interests. The group also raised doubts about the proposed Special Bill to Protect Government School Properties, suggesting that it may benefit private players.