Karnataka Government School Enrolment Drops by 17 Lakh in 15 Years

Belgavi: Enrolment in Karnataka’s government schools has declined by 17 lakh over the past fifteen years, School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The minister said the fall in enrolment is mainly due to parents opting for English -medium institutions, increasing preference for central syllabus schools, migration, and the expansion of private schools. The information was provided in a written reply to BJP MLA and former education minister S Suresh Kumar.

To address the decline, the government is conducting a statewide awareness campaign from 14 November 2025 to 30 June 2026. Between 2018 and 2025, bilingual (Kannada–English) pre-primary sections were introduced in 6,675 government schools, while bilingual classes for grades 1 to 5 are now offered in 9,522 schools.

Computer labs were established in 5,437 government primary and high schools in 2024–25, with 1,072 more being set up in 2025–26. Smart-class facilities are available in 3,862 schools, and 173 schools have innovative labs. Science labs are being developed in 489 schools and 614 pre-university colleges. Vocational education is being introduced in 375 schools.

Under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka project, the government has earmarked 838.75 crore rupees for constructing and repairing classrooms, toilets, and furniture. Recruitment is under way for 5,267 teachers in the Kalyana Karnataka region and 5,000 teachers in other districts.

To manage teacher shortages, 43,526 guest teachers and 5,508 guest lecturers have been appointed. The minister said 309 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), which offer education from pre-primary to pre-university on a single campus, have been established so far. An additional 900 institutions are being upgraded to KPS status this year.