Mysuru: Strong opposition is mounting in HD Kote and Saragur against the Karnataka government's move to merge government schools under the KPS Magnet scheme. Over 300 parents, students, and villagers participated in a protest in front of the HD Kote taluk office on Tuesday.
Protest Organized by AIDSO and Save Public Education Committee
The convention was organized under the leadership of the AIDSO student organization and the Save Public Education Committee. They accused the state government of pushing ahead with the closure of more than 40 government schools in the two taluks.
Allegations Against the Government
Addressing the gathering, AIDSO state vice-president Apoorva alleged that government orders issued on October 15 and December 30, 2025, were aimed at implementing a policy of one government school per gram panchayat. She claimed that under this policy, only 6,000 schools would remain across the state while nearly 40,000 government schools would disappear.
She said the KPS Magnet scheme was effectively a plan to shut down all other government schools located within a 5-kilometer radius of KPS schools. Apoorva also criticized the government's proposed skill-based education measures, alleging that introducing activities such as making clay lamps and peeling arecanuts from Class 6 was an attempt to keep children of laborers confined to labor. She further charged that the government was merging schools in the name of reform while also extending similar measures to PU colleges under the PM SHRI scheme.
Objections to English Medium Introduction
Apoorva also objected to the introduction of English medium from Class 1 in all government primary schools, claiming that the move would eventually lead to the closure of Kannada-medium schools. She cited resistance in Arsikere taluk of Hassan district, where villagers opposed a list of schools marked for merger.
Allegations of Coercion
She also alleged that in Padarahalli KPS Magnet School in Channapatna, signatures were obtained from parents of nearby villages on indemnity bonds under the pretext of securing consent to send their children to the magnet school.
Local Concerns Highlighted
Highlighting local concerns, Apoorva said HD Kote and Saragur were economically and educationally backward regions where many families already lacked basic facilities. She said the threat of wild animals and existing hardships already pushed many children out of school and into labor, and warned that closure of village schools would further deprive poor children of education.
Karnataka State Farmers' Organisation HD Kote taluk president Palaniswamy said the government was steadily reducing the number of public schools and undermining public education. Stressing that education should first be imparted in mother tongue, he said the farmers' body strongly opposed the KPS Magnet scheme.
Former Maharani College Kannada professor Latha Mysore said she studied in a Kannada school and later retired as a Kannada professor, and accused bureaucrats of conspiring to deny education to working people.
