Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Friday signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a Rs 2,500 crore project to comprehensively develop 500 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar present.
The project, aimed at transforming school education by 2030, will be implemented between 2026 and 2030. Of the total project cost, the ADB will provide Rs 1,750 crore, while the Karnataka government will contribute Rs 750 crore.
The agreement was signed at Vidhana Soudha in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education and Literacy Department Rashmi Mahesh, and senior ADB officials.
The project aims to provide capacity for at least 1,200 students in each KPS and develop the schools as comprehensive educational institutions.
“This is not merely a project to develop schools. It is a project to build the future of Karnataka for the next 50 years,” Shivakumar said.
The government plans to provide free and quality education from LKG to Class 12 on a single campus under the KPS model.
The project will focus on free transportation for students, bilingual education, computer and artificial intelligence (AI) education, skill development and career guidance, and nurturing talent in music, literature and sports.
It will also promote extracurricular activities and introduce systems to monitor students’ academic progress continuously. Parent‑teacher interaction will be strengthened through meetings every two months.
Students will be introduced to competitive examination preparation and career guidance from Class 6 onwards.
The government will also formulate a special action plan to enhance teachers’ capacity and pay particular attention to improving student performance in Classes 10 and 12 board examinations.
A key objective of the project is to equip children from rural areas with 21st‑century skills and enable them to compete at the global level.
The initiative will focus on digital learning, skill development, career guidance and improved academic outcomes, while seeking to create better educational opportunities for students in rural Karnataka.
Officials from the ADB, including National Director Mio Oka, Principal Portfolio Management Specialist Kai Wei Yeo, Principal Education Project Officer Poonam S. Bhambri and Principal Communications Officer Rajesh Kumar Deol, were among those present.
(IANS)
