Karnataka's Education Transformations: Tackling Enrollment Decline

Karnataka's government schools face a 17 lakh drop in enrollment over 15 years due to parental preference for English-medium and private schools. Efforts to reverse this include bilingual classes, tech enhancements, and a comprehensive awareness campaign. The state is also investing in infrastructure and teacher recruitment.

Enrollment in Karnataka's government schools has plummeted by 17 lakh over the past 15 years, Minister Madhu Bangarappa revealed in the Legislative Assembly. Factors contributing to this decline include a shift towards English-medium education, a rising interest in central syllabi, migration, and the burgeoning number of private schools.

To combat the trend, the government has launched an enrollment awareness campaign that will run from November 2025 to June 2026, aiming to boost admissions in state-run institutions. Since 2018, bilingual pre-primary sections have been introduced in 6,675 schools, while classes from grades 1 to 5 have been rolled out in 9,522 schools.

The state is bolstering education infrastructure with new computer labs and smart-class facilities, and substantial funding under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka project is earmarked for school improvements. Overcoming teacher shortages, the government has recruited additional guest teachers and lecturers, and is upgrading schools to offer cohesive pre-primary to pre-university education.

(With inputs from agencies.)