Karnataka Education Policy 2025: Fee Regulation, Free Schools Proposed

Bengaluru, August 9, 2025: Karnataka’s education sector is set for major changes. The State Education Policy Commission, led by Prof. Sukhdev Thorat, has officially submitted its comprehensive report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The commission’s primary recommendation: establish a dedicated fee regulation authority to rein in excessive charges at private schools and pre-primary institutions. This move is designed to make education more affordable and accessible across the board. (Representative Image Credit - Pixabay)

The report takes a firm stance on regulating private school fees even at the pre-primary level also aiming to make education genuinely accessible. It doesn’t stop there; there’s a clear recommendation to expand the network of free schools statewide, ensuring every student can reach secondary education, regardless of background. Notably, the commission urges a shift away from blanket reliance on NCERT textbooks, arguing for curriculum strategies and materials tailored to local needs. It’s a push for smarter, more cost-effective education which is something the sector frankly needs.

5 Key Recommendations for School Education

1) Fee Regulation and Free Schools: Establish a dedicated authority to monitor and control fees in private schools and pre-primary institutions. Expand free schools to ensure universal access to education.

2) Curriculum Reforms: Develop localized, comprehensive textbooks and reduce reliance on NCERT. Introduce mandatory constitutional values education in all schools.

3) Structural Changes: Reorganize school education into two phases one is Classes 1 to 8 and second one is Classes 9 to 12. By separating pre-primary education. Strengthen field-level education sectors with more authority.

4) Right to Education (RTE) Expansion: Extend free and compulsory education under RTE from ages 4 to 18, phasing out fees for students post-Class 8.

5) Teacher Recruitment: Prioritize permanent teacher appointments, eliminate contract and guest teachers, and ensure central school-level quality in government schools.

Higher and Vocational Education Reforms

The commission has outlined significant reforms for both higher and vocational education. For higher education, the proposal introduces more rigorous faculty recruitment processes, including mandatory written exams and interviews. Leadership roles such as principal positions will be reserved exclusively for government college faculty members, ensuring experienced oversight. There’s also a plan to expand access to doctoral studies through state-funded scholarships for PhD candidates. Additionally, they intend to standardize the admissions process for private colleges by implementing uniform entrance exams. The establishment of the Karnataka State Education Finance Corporation is also on the table to streamline funding and financial management in the sector.

On the vocational front, the commission recommends embedding vocational coursework across all academic disciplines, promoting technology-driven learning environments, and making internships compulsory for degree programs. New diploma offerings are proposed in food processing and precision agriculture, with agricultural education integrated from the school level upward.

Beyond curriculum changes, the commission suggests creating a directorate for lifelong learning, allocating 30% of the state budget to education, and strengthening reservation policies within private educational institutions and universities. They also propose forming a dedicated committee for Indian Knowledge Systems and consolidating administrative functions by reducing the number of joint directors’ offices to four.

Overall, the report strongly highlights the urgent need for fair access to quality education, with a focus on core constitutional values and effective training across the board. It recommends launching pre-primary education in all government schools no more leaving early childhood learning to chance. On top of that, there’s a clear push to ban private agricultural universities, aiming to prevent education in this sector from becoming just another commercial venture. Bottom line? The commission’s pushing for a robust, inclusive education model in Karnataka, making sure opportunity and quality aren’t reserved for a select few but available to everyone. That’s the strategic vision on the table.

Keywords: Karnataka education policy, school fee regulation, free schools Karnataka, RTE expansion, State Education Commission, Sukhdev Thorat, universal education, vocational education, higher education reforms