In a significant move to arrest the steady decline in student numbers, the Karnataka Department of School Education and Literacy has announced a major upgrade for hundreds of government schools across the state. The department issued a notification on November 28 to transform 474 schools into Karnataka Public School (KPS) magnet institutions.
The Drive Behind the KPS Magnet School Initiative
The core objective of this initiative is to lure students back to the government education system by providing seamless schooling from the earliest years through to undergraduate studies on a single, integrated campus. This model directly addresses the worrying trend of falling enrollments.
Official data presented by Shubhamangala RV, Special Officer of the department, paints a stark picture. The total number of students in government schools plummeted from 47.1 lakh in 2015-16 to 38.2 lakh in 2025-26, marking a steep 19% decline. Consequently, the government system's share of total school enrollment fell from 46% to 38% in that decade.
This drop stands in sharp contrast to the private sector, which saw a 29% surge in enrollment, from 36.3 lakh to 47 lakh students in the same period. A telling statistic reveals that in 2025-26, a staggering 25,683 government schools had an enrollment of 50 or fewer students.
How the Single-Campus KPS Model Aims to Help
The government argues that the integrated KPS magnet school model will curb disruptions and improve educational continuity, which is critical given the high dropout rates, especially at the high school level where the rate is 22.88%.
The state is building on the proven success of an earlier pilot. In 2018-19, 176 KPS schools were established. That number has now grown to 309. These schools have shown positive outcomes: average enrollment per KPS school increased from 785 to 819, and the SSLC pass percentage reached an impressive 79.9%, notably higher than non-KPS institutions.
Beyond academic performance, the single-campus system from kindergarten to Class 12 solves several practical headaches. It mitigates teacher shortages, eliminates the need for parents to obtain transfer certificates four times, and simplifies administration by reducing the need for multiple bank accounts.
Future Plans and Expert Endorsement
The government's strategy involves merging smaller schools to create KPS magnet hubs with a minimum of 1,200 students, thereby pooling resources and bridging infrastructure gaps. The broader plan is to establish 500 such schools across Karnataka in the current and next academic years. The recent notification specifically kicks off the process for 200 schools in the Kalyana Karnataka region.
Educationists have welcomed the move. Rajasekhara Patil, Principal of Government PU College in Kinnal, stated, "KPS Magnet School presents a promising concept. Making education available up to the 12th grade within a single location will likely lead to a decrease in out-of-school children. The parents feel a sense of relief because once their child is enrolled, he or she will remain until completing the PUC. Teachers also find comfort in this, as it reduces the frequency of transfers."
With this large-scale upgrade, the Karnataka government is making a concerted effort to revitalize its public education system and offer a compelling, continuous alternative to private institutions.
