3,617 govt. schools close in Karnataka between 2020-21 and 2025-26

Karnataka sees 3,617 government schools close from 2020-21 to 2025-26, despite government claims of no permanent closures.

While the Karnataka government claims that no government school has been closed in the State, two sources of official data indicate that as many as 3,617 government schools were shut down between 2020-21 and 2025-26. 

Data tabled by the Union Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha on February 4, in response to a question raised by a CPI(M) member John Brittas regarding school closures across the country, shows that 947 government schools shut down between 2020-21 and 2024-25. It came down from 49,791 in 2020-21 to 48,844 in 2024-25. 

Further, an October 15, 2025, order by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Karnataka, on establishing Karnataka Public Schools, pegs the number of government schools in the State at 46,174, indicating a drastic decline. Data for 2025-26, which saw the largest closures, pegged at 2,670, is not part of the data tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

DSEL Minister Madhu Bangarappa had earlier claimed in the Karnataka Legislature session that no government school had been permanently closed in 2025-26, but only temporarily shut. 

The enrolment of students in government schools in the State has declined from 47.1 lakh in 2015-16 to 38.2 lakh in 2025-26, recording a decline of 19%. The share of government schools in the total enrolment has declined from 46% to 38%.

During the same period, enrolment in private unaided schools increased from 36.3 lakh to 47 lakh, recording an increase of 29%. The number of government schools with an enrolment of 50 or less students has increased to 25,683 in 2025-26. This trend clearly indicates why government schools were shutting down year on year.