<p class="bodytext">Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairperson Purushottam Bilimale has submitted a report compiled by the KDA on government schools that have been around for a century or more to Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa. The report offers suggestions and recommendations on reviving and improving these old schools.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as 3,139 government schools in the state were found to have crossed the century mark by December 2025. The KDA has recommended declaring each of these as a ‘heritage school with historical importance’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“At least one such school at the hobli level must be developed as a special school where education is not limited to the content of the textbooks. Such schools must offer lessons in music, dance, and sports to children, so they can function as skill development centres,” the report recommended.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The KDA has also urged the government to commission a detailed study on century-old schools at the district level. “When temples and forts can be considered part of the state’s heritage, why should schools not be counted as well,” questioned the KDA.</p>.Take steps to restore century-old government schools, KDA urges CM Siddaramaiah.<p class="bodytext">Although there was a circular in 2019 calling for the publication of a book and the making of a video on 100-year-old schools, neither materialised. “Let the book on 100-year-old schools be published at least by the end of the year,” KDA said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Government schools in the state were being closed without a proper study being conducted over the past ten years, rued the KDA. Bemoaning the drop in enrolment at thousands of government schools, KDA called for an in-depth study to explain the decline.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The Department of School Education appears not to have kept the interests of 100-year-old schools in mind while approving establishment of private schools,” the KDA remarked. Acknowledging the surge in enrolment at schools where bilingual teaching was introduced, the KDA, nevertheless, pointed out that admission had dropped to single digits in many schools, which could face the prospect of closure in the future.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairperson Purushottam Bilimale has submitted a report compiled by the KDA on government schools that have been around for a century or more to Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa. The report offers suggestions and recommendations on reviving and improving these old schools.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as 3,139 government schools in the state were found to have crossed the century mark by December 2025. The KDA has recommended declaring each of these as a ‘heritage school with historical importance’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“At least one such school at the hobli level must be developed as a special school where education is not limited to the content of the textbooks. Such schools must offer lessons in music, dance, and sports to children, so they can function as skill development centres,” the report recommended.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The KDA has also urged the government to commission a detailed study on century-old schools at the district level. “When temples and forts can be considered part of the state’s heritage, why should schools not be counted as well,” questioned the KDA.</p>.Take steps to restore century-old government schools, KDA urges CM Siddaramaiah.<p class="bodytext">Although there was a circular in 2019 calling for the publication of a book and the making of a video on 100-year-old schools, neither materialised. “Let the book on 100-year-old schools be published at least by the end of the year,” KDA said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Government schools in the state were being closed without a proper study being conducted over the past ten years, rued the KDA. Bemoaning the drop in enrolment at thousands of government schools, KDA called for an in-depth study to explain the decline.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The Department of School Education appears not to have kept the interests of 100-year-old schools in mind while approving establishment of private schools,” the KDA remarked. Acknowledging the surge in enrolment at schools where bilingual teaching was introduced, the KDA, nevertheless, pointed out that admission had dropped to single digits in many schools, which could face the prospect of closure in the future.</p>
