Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 22: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Karnataka government have signed a Rs 1,750-crore loan agreement to upgrade 500 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) over the next four years.
The state government will contribute Rs 750 crore towards the Rs 2,500-crore project, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said. The upgrades are scheduled to be completed by 2029-30.
The agreement was signed by officials of the School Education Department and ADB in the presence of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Bangarappa at Vidhana Soudha.
The schools will be selected based on specific criteria, with priority given to government schools that have the potential to attract larger numbers of students. The government aims to provide each KPS with infrastructure and facilities to accommodate at least 1,200 students.
Bangarappa said the ADB assistance would be the largest financial support extended by the bank to India's education sector. He said the ADB had assessed Karnataka's plans for KPS development and measures aimed at improving the quality of education before approving the assistance.
The project will support several initiatives, including bilingual education, teacher training, computer science education and preparations to introduce artificial intelligence learning. The state also plans to strengthen vocational and skill education and provide safe transportation facilities for students from rural areas.
The minister said detailed project reports had already been prepared for 100 schools and the schools to be upgraded had been identified.
Of the total ADB assistance, Rs 262.5 crore has already been provided. A further Rs 358.75 crore is expected in 2026-27, followed by Rs 385 crore in 2027-28, Rs 376.25 crore in 2028-29 and Rs 367.5 crore in 2029-30.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening government school infrastructure and improving access to quality education across Karnataka.