BENGALURU: The state government is busy expanding the Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) programme, but schools selected under the initiative are unhappy with the move. The state chose 276 government schools under KPS last year, and have proposed 224 more for the next academic year to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. “In order to provide quality education in one go, KPS was planned by including of smart classrooms, science labs, libraries, etc.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development prescribes four acres of land for PUC, three acres for Classes 8 to 10, and four acres for primary school. Despite not meeting the criteria, government schools were blindly selected by Block Education Officers. Our school is less than 0.25 acres and was selected as a KPS,” a school headmaster complained, explaining that around 10 acres were needed to start a KPS.
The government’s aim is to have one KPS in each hobli. “For institutions with less space, vertical infrastructure will be built,” said a Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan official. Responding to this, the headmaster added, “Under the Town Planning Act, there is a limit on the number of floors we can build. Moreover, the classrooms, labs and other rooms will be small if more floors are added. How will the children move around?”
Principals say PU colleges need separate science labs and separate libraries for high-school children, all of which cannot be accommodated in some of the existing KPS schools. These aspects have not been thought through, they said. “At some schools, as there is no teacher available for Class 8, and those who have only completed SSLC or PUC are deputed to teach high school students. Where is quality education in this case?” he questioned.
Another headmaster from a Bengaluru school selected under KPS, said on condition of anonymity, “There is space to accommodate children from LKG to Class 10, but not PUC. These schools were constructed ages ago with smaller dimensions. Unless, they demolish and build a new structure, it is not a good idea to expand and add more classes.”
‘KPS’ free to find their own solution’
MT Reju, state project director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, said, “Our approach in identifying KPS’ was to find bigger schools where we can accommodate additional classrooms. For smaller spaces, vertical development is the only option. For schools that complain of lack of space, we do not have a solution.” He added, “If space is less, they can tag another campus nearby as part of this KPS.