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.
DSEL data
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.
