375 Karnataka schools drop state syllabus, shift to CBSE

Parents increasingly prefer CBSE education as private schools move away from the state syllabus; official data shows a sharp rise in CBSE adoption over the last three years.

A growing number of private schools in Karnataka are moving away from the state syllabus and adopting the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, reflecting a clear shift in parental preference. Official figures presented by the state education department in the Legislative Assembly reveal that 375 private schools changed their syllabus from the state board to CBSE between 2022 and 2024.

The trend has picked up pace in the last year alone. In 2022, 62 private schools transitioned to the CBSE syllabus. This number rose sharply to 169 schools in 2023, followed by another 144 schools making the switch in 2024. Education officials note that the highest number of conversions occurred during the 2022-2024 period.

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The shift comes at a time when the state government is focusing on strengthening public education by launching new Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) and discussing reforms in the state education system. However, hundreds of private institutions continue to opt for the central board curriculum.

Several factors are driving the preference for CBSE. Schools following the CBSE syllabus largely teach in English and use the NCERT curriculum, which is considered uniform across the country. The examination pattern in CBSE is also different from the state board, which many parents believe better prepares students for competitive exams after school.

Private Schools Association Secretary Shashi Kumar said that CBSE norms related to infrastructure are more practical compared to the stricter regulations imposed by the state education department. He also pointed out that while CBSE follows the NCERT syllabus from the early grades, state syllabus schools introduce NCERT only from Class 6, following a different model for Classes 1 to 5.

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Parents echo similar views. Yashaswini R, a parent, said that CBSE education helps children learn multiple languages, including their mother tongue, English and Hindi, more effectively. She added that students studying under the CBSE syllabus gain better intellectual exposure and are more comfortable facing competitive exams later, while the state syllabus offers limited academic exposure.

Surveys also indicate that many parents associate CBSE and ICSE schools with better quality education, which is one of the main reasons for enrolling children in private institutions.