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The idea is to bring government schools closer to the standards of private institutions and, in the process, reduce migration from villages to cities
Apart from employment, the search for better education is among the reasons families are moving to Bengaluru, adding to its population and traffic pressure. File pic/PTI
Can private schools help bridge the widening gap between government and private education in Karnataka? The state government is now looking at private educational institutions to help transform its rural government schools, with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealing to private school managements to adopt government schools and share their resources, expertise and teaching facilities.
The government’s plan is to link 2,000 government schools with private institutions in phases, beginning with 1,000 schools in the first phase. Under the “Namma Shaale Namma Javabdari” (Our School, Our Responsibility) initiative, private schools are being encouraged to go beyond financial assistance and participate in improving the quality of education in rural areas.
The idea is to bring government schools closer to the standards of private institutions and, in the process, reduce migration from villages to cities, particularly Bengaluru, as parents move in search of better educational opportunities for their children.
At a recent meeting with private school managements and CSR representatives, Chief Minister Shivakumar said institutions would have the freedom to decide which government schools they wanted to support and the extent of their contribution.
The government’s appeal goes beyond funding infrastructure. Private schools are being asked to share their teachers, school buses, laboratory equipment and computers with government institutions. One suggestion is to depute 10 experienced teachers to government schools, with the private institution continuing to pay their salaries.
“If you cannot give Rs 5-10 crore and construct buildings, it’s okay; send your expert teachers to government schools. Give 10 teachers from your school. You pay their salary. Don’t go to sell your private school bus; give it to a government school. If you give lab materials and computers, it will be helpful. This is a kind of knowledge exchange,” Shivakumar said.
Private schools can choose government schools based on their financial capacity and convenience. One private institution can potentially adopt up to three government schools.
At A Glance
The Karnataka government plans to link 2,000 government schools with private institutions in phases, beginning with 1,000 schools.
Karnataka has an annual corporate social responsibility fund pool of around Rs 8,800 crore.
Toyota has previously supported the construction of 23 schools in Ramanagara district with investments ranging between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore per school.
On Wednesday, 15 organisations signed MoUs worth Rs 206.10 crore for upgrading 56 government schools as Karnataka Public Schools.
The total commitment now stands at Rs 291.10 crore covering 89 schools following earlier MoUs worth Rs 85 crore.
The government has also permitted private institutions contributing to rural school development to add their names to the schools they support. The Hegganur Government School on the Tamil Nadu border, for instance, has been permitted to be called the Hegganur Government Toyota School.
The Chief Minister also linked the rural education initiative to Bengaluru’s growing congestion. Apart from employment, the search for better education is among the reasons families are moving to the city, adding to its population and traffic pressure.
“In Bengaluru, children take one hour to reach school. The reason for Bengaluru’s congestion is employment and education. Every father is ready to sacrifice anything to give good education to his children. If those children get education in that village itself, pressure on Bengaluru will reduce,” Shivakumar said.
Karnataka has an annual CSR fund pool of around Rs 8,800 crore, and the government wants a larger share of this spending directed towards rural education.
The government has also secured a Rs 2,000-crore World Bank loan for infrastructure development in Karnataka Public Schools. However, infrastructure is only one part of the challenge.
Discussions with companies operating in the state, urging them to prioritise rural primary school development and a delegation led by Shivakumar had also met the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over concerns that companies generating revenue in Karnataka are routing their CSR expenditure outside the state.
This is not a new thing as there are already some examples of private-sector participation. One such has been Toyota, which has supported the construction of 23 schools in Ramanagara district, with investments ranging between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore per school. In Bengaluru South district, development works have begun in 30 schools through CSR funding.
Based on this discussion, on Wednesday, 15 organisations signed MoUs worth Rs 206.10 crore for upgrading 56 government schools as Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). With 18 earlier MoUs worth Rs 85 crore covering 33 schools, the total commitment now stands at Rs 291.10 crore for 89 schools.
Government school teachers draw salaries ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh, but the quality of education remains a concern. The government is now placing greater emphasis on these very teachers’ capabilities and quality during the recruitment process to add value to government schools.
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Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously wor…Read More
November 05, 2026, 18:18 IST
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