Crumbling Classrooms, Broken Promises: Survey Exposes Collapse of Maulana Azad Schools in Karnataka

Survey Exposes Deep Crisis in Maulana Azad Schools, Raises Questions on Karnataka Government’s Accountability

A comprehensive survey report prepared by the Movement for Justice has exposed widespread systemic failures in Karnataka’s Maulana Azad Model Schools, raising serious questions about the accountability of the Congress-led state government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Ministry of Minorities, the Karnataka Minority Development Corporation (KMDC) and the Directorate of Minorities. The findings point to chronic neglect, poor governance and underutilisation of budgetary allocations, resulting in the denial of fundamental educational rights to thousands of poor minority children.

The report, titled Condition of Maulana Azad Schools, argues that the continuing deterioration of these institutions is not merely an administrative lapse but a direct threat to Karnataka’s long-term human capital and economic leadership.

Crumbling Infrastructure, Unsafe Learning Spaces

The survey documents a severe infrastructure crisis across multiple schools. Acute overcrowding has forced institutions such as Kumbarpet and Medahalli to run five grade levels in just two rooms, while at Shivaji Nagar, classes are reportedly conducted in open corridors and unsafe balconies.

Sanitation has emerged as a major public health concern. Toilets in several schools were found in “the worst condition imaginable”, with Shivaji Nagar reportedly lacking even a single wash basin. Leaking roofs, broken drainage systems and structurally unsound buildings expose students to constant safety risks.

The report also flags external security threats. At Thimmaiah Road, parents and teachers reported drug-related activity by outsiders near the school premises, underscoring the absence of basic campus security.

Teachers in Precarious Conditions, Leadership Vacuum

The survey highlights a parallel crisis affecting faculty and school leadership. Guest teachers, who form the backbone of many Maulana Azad Schools, are employed under precarious conditions—paid extremely low salaries, often with long delays, and without appointment letters or social security benefits such as Provident Fund (PF).

Equally damaging is the absence of permanent leadership. Schools including Kumbarpet, Shivaji Nagar and Parangipalya function without a permanent Head Master, severely undermining academic planning, discipline and institutional accountability. Shortages of subject teachers, administrative staff and Group D employees further burden existing staff, forcing teachers to perform non-academic duties.

No Toilets, No Headmasters, No Accountability: How Karnataka’s Minority Schools Fell Apart

Governance Failure and Missing Local Oversight

The report identifies a governance vacuum caused by the widespread absence of School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs). Schools such as Thimmaiah Road, Ashok Nagar and Subhash Nagar reportedly lack functional SDMCs, cutting off parental participation and eliminating a critical mechanism for local oversight.

“This absence of decentralised monitoring raises uncomfortable questions about how the Directorate of Minorities has been supervising these schools,” the report notes.

Priority Action Plan: School-wise Diagnosis and Remedies

The survey presents a detailed matrix linking specific schools to their most urgent deficiencies and prescribing priority interventions:

(The full report covers over 18 schools across Bengaluru and surrounding regions.)

Phased Roadmap for Revival

The Movement for Justice proposes a three-phase reform strategy:

• Phase I (0–3 months): Immediate salary hikes and timely payments for guest teachers, formal appointments with PF benefits, modular classrooms to ease overcrowding, and urgent toilet repairs.

• Phase II (3–12 months): Appointment of permanent Head Masters, mandatory SDMC formation, and Kannada bridge courses for migrant and non-native students.

• Phase III (1–3 years): Creation of zonal “Model Campuses” and formal partnerships with NGOs, replicating successful interventions seen in Minhajnagar and Yelahanka.

Unanswered Questions for the Government

Despite repeated budgetary announcements for minority welfare, the report questions why funds have failed to translate into basic infrastructure, staffing and governance reforms. Why do schools still operate without toilets, Head Masters or SDMCs? How have the Ministry of Minorities and KMDC monitored fund utilisation? And why are guest teachers—central to the system—denied job security and dignity?

The survey argues that continued neglect amounts to a denial of children’s fundamental right to education and calls for immediate accountability from the Siddaramaiah government.

A Warning for Karnataka’s Future

Concluding its assessment, the report warns that the dilapidated condition of Maulana Azad Schools is a “direct threat to Karnataka’s economic future”. Investing in their revival, it states, is not charity but a high-return investment in human capital essential for sustaining the state’s growth and prosperity.

Whether the government responds with urgency or allows these findings to gather dust may determine the future of thousands of minority students—and the credibility of Karnataka’s minority welfare governance.

RSVP: 98861 16065 | Full presentation on the pitiful condition of Moulana Azad Schools may be accessed through.