Shivakumar urges private schools to adopt govt schools in rural Karnataka

• Karnataka plans to link 2,000 government schools with private institutions under its 'Namma Shaale Namma Javabdari' initiative.

• Shivakumar urges private schools to contribute teachers, computers, laboratory equipment and transport based on their financial capacity.

• Initiative aims to improve rural education and reduce pressure on Bengaluru by bringing quality schooling closer to villages.

Karnataka chief minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday, 4 November appealed to private school managements to adopt government schools in rural areas or partner with the state government in improving their infrastructure and quality of education.

Speaking at the launch of the 'Namma Shaale Namma Javabdari' (our school, our responsibility) programme, Shivakumar said the government initially aimed to link 1,000 state-run schools with private institutions, with a broader target of covering 2,000 schools.

"Our government has introduced a new Corporate Social Responsibility policy. The managements of all private schools in the state should adopt government schools in rural areas or join hands with us in developing them," he said, addressing CSR representatives of private school managements.

He said the initiative sought to bring children from rural and private schools together, ensuring better educational opportunities and access to quality learning for students in rural areas.

"We are planning to link a total of 2,000 government schools with private ones. We have divided the 6,000 panchayats into three categories. Initially, our target is to cover 1,000 government schools. This is only the beginning. Our efforts will yield good results in four to five years," he said.

Shivakumar said private institutions would be free to choose the government schools they wished to adopt and contribute according to their financial capacity.

"Make a decision based on your financial capacity. If you cannot spend Rs 5-10 crore on constructing buildings, that is fine. Send 10 teachers from your schools, each with expertise in their respective subjects, to government schools and pay their salaries. Providing laboratory equipment and computers will also be useful. This is a form of knowledge exchange," he said.

He also urged private schools to hand over their buses to government school students instead of selling them.

The chief minister said Karnataka had an annual CSR fund of Rs 8,800 crore and that he had held discussions with companies operating in the state, urging them to prioritise the development of rural primary schools. "They have already started the work. Now it is your turn," he told the representatives of private school managements.

Shivakumar said he had also met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accompanied by the chief secretary, to discuss the CSR issue. He urged the Centre to curb the practice of companies registering in Karnataka but diverting funds generated in the state to other places.

"Some companies open offices in Mumbai, register their companies here and utilise the money earned here elsewhere. They release the funds and then take back 50 per cent of the money. I have requested that this practice be curbed," he said.

He said CSR-funded development work had begun in 30 schools in Bengaluru South district. Work had been completed in 10 per cent of the schools, was under way in eight, while agreements had been finalised for another 12.

Citing Toyota's contribution, Shivakumar said the company had helped construct 23 schools in Ramanagara district, investing Rs 10-15 crore in each. He added that private schools contributing to the development of government institutions would be allowed to have their names added to those schools.

"We have allowed the government school in Hegganur, located near the Tamil Nadu border, to be named Hegganur Government Toyota School," he said.

The chief minister said the government had adopted a soft approach towards private schools and acknowledged the challenges involved in running them. He noted that private schools charged annual fees ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.

He also said the government had borrowed Rs 2,000 crore from the World Bank for infrastructure development in Karnataka Public Schools. "The government pays salaries ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh to government school teachers. However, the quality of education still needs to improve. We have given greater importance to the quality of teachers during the selection process itself," he said.

Describing education as a shared responsibility, Shivakumar urged private school managements to become partners in the development of government schools.

"One truth is that all of us, including you, are only trustees of educational institutions. We are here today, and someone else will come tomorrow. Only the work we do will remain permanent. Therefore, private school managements should become partners with government schools. This is a good initiative," he said.

He also linked Bengaluru's traffic congestion to the concentration of employment and educational opportunities in the city. Bengaluru has a population of 1.40 crore and 1.20 crore vehicles, he said. While road expansion in Bengaluru stood at eight per cent, the figure was 18-20 per cent in Mysuru.

"Children take one hour to reach their schools. Employment and education are the reasons for Bengaluru's traffic congestion. Every father is ready to make any sacrifice to provide a good education to his children. If those children can access quality education in their own villages, the pressure on Bengaluru will reduce," he said.

With PTI inputs