The Karnataka Council of Pre-Schools (KCPS) has called on the state government to stop enforcing “impossible” mandates that threaten to close more than 25,000 stand-alone pre-schools across the state.
At a press conference on Wednesday, KCPS expressed concern about the new regulations introduced for the operation of pre-schools and called on the Minister of Education to form a high-level committee to simplify the rules.
The council said the new regulations would put more than 4.5 million women out of work, including teachers, aides and support staff. “If these regulations are not immediately overhauled, they will trigger an unprecedented socioeconomic crisis that will lead to mass unemployment for women and a crushing financial burden on millions of young families. Closing charter schools will lead to a 500% increase in fees because it gives an unfair monopoly to large K-12 institutions,” he added.
As KCPS shares, the new regulations mandate a 30-year lease requirement even for stand-alone residential nurseries, which is impossible to comply with. “No landlord in the private market will ever comply, making 90% of schools legally untenable. Even the 18ft/20ft (360 sq ft) class size requirement ignores a homely, safe environment and is physically impossible in residential areas,” he said.
Main requirements
* Immediately create a high-level committee to simplify and redraft the rules specifically for ECCEs, different from K-12 industry standards.
* Stop all harassment: Issue an immediate stay on the current impossible building, lease and land conversion mandates until a fair framework is in place.
* Ensure digital transparency: Restore immediate public access to a functional and transparent registration portal.
Published – 25 Feb 2026 21:41 IST
