Karnataka’s KPS-Magnet School plan triggers fears over rural school mergers

As the state prepares to roll out 700 KPS–Magnet Schools inspired by the US model, parents and educators worry that thousands of small government schools in rural Karnataka may lose their independent identity.

The Karnataka Education Department has already introduced Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) across the state, offering education in both Kannada and English mediums. These schools provide a continuous learning system from primary level up to PUC at a single location and have seen growing demand, especially in rural areas.

Now, the department is preparing to introduce a new concept known as KPS–Magnet Schools, inspired by the Magnet School model followed in the United States. As per official plans, 700 Magnet Schools are to be established across Karnataka over the next two years by upgrading selected government schools.

Under this model, government schools located within a 6-kilometre radius of a KPS–Magnet School will be merged into it. Schools with low student enrolment, particularly those with limited infrastructure or academic standards, will be identified for merger. The state government has approved this proposal put forward by the Education Department.

Also Read:Chicken rates spike sharply, ₹300 mark likely by December-end

Officials explained that smaller schools located within 3 to 5 kilometres of each other are being mapped and grouped under one Magnet School. For example, in Amruthur hobli of Kunigal taluk, schools from five to six nearby villages are proposed to be consolidated into a single central institution.

At present, Karnataka has around 25,000 government schools with 50 or fewer students. This has triggered widespread concern among parents and local communities that these schools could effectively be shut down by merging them into KPS–Magnet Schools.

The Education Department states that, as per KPS policy, schools will be assessed based on infrastructure and academic benchmarks before being converted into Magnet Schools and later integrated into the KPS system. The department has also said that KPS-style schools are a necessity of the present time, as noted in a government order issued on October 15, 2025.

KPS schools are currently located mainly at hobli centres and some gram panchayat headquarters, and they are seeing heavy demand. Many rural parents are choosing KPS English-medium education over private schools, which have rapidly expanded across villages. For poor, middle-class and economically weaker families, KPS schools are seen as an affordable and quality alternative.

Also Read:No firecrackers, strict rules for New Year parties: Bengaluru Police issue 19-point safety guidelinesKarnataka Public Schools

However, while officials quietly move ahead with preparations and have already issued official orders, Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa has publicly stated that no government schools will be closed and that no Magnet Schools will be introduced, a statement he reiterated in Belagavi.

This contradiction between official assurances and departmental actions has added to uncertainty. With the Magnet School concept, borrowed from the US education system, set to be implemented in rural Karnataka, the future of thousands of government schools remains unclear.