Karnataka Govt. School Enrolment Drops 10.38% in Three Years

Quick Summary

• Government school enrolments in Karnataka have declined over the past three academic years, showing a 10.38% drop.
• Enrolment figures:

– 2022-2023: 45.46 lakh students
– 2023-2024: 42.94 lakh students (decline of 2.52 lakh)
– 2024-2025: 40.74 lakh students (further decline of 2.18 lakh)

• factors contributing too the decline include lack of bilingual schools, absence of pre-primary classes, teacher shortages, and poor toilet maintenance.
• Education Minister Madhu bangarappa announced measures like permitting pre-primary classes in over 5,000 schools and new teacher recruitment to increase enrolments.
• bilingual schooling is also being promoted as part of these efforts.
• While no government school closures were officially reported due to low admissions, one school-Hulikal government High School in Tumakuru district-closed during the academic year due to a shortage of students.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The consistent decline in government school enrolment signals deeper systemic challenges within the public education framework in Karnataka. Issues like infrastructure gaps and resource shortages highlight an urgent need for strategic reforms to attract and retain students while ensuring quality education access, especially for marginalized communities relying on these institutions.

The government’s measures such as introducing pre-primary classes and bilingual teaching are promising initial steps; however, their implementation will ultimately determine effectiveness given existing infrastructure constraints.

Moreover,addressing urban-rural disparities thru tailored approaches-in urban educational demand versus rural infrastructural deficits-is key to achieving sustainable improvements and reducing dropout rates across demographics.

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