Steps needed to boost enrolment in govt schools in Karnataka: Minister

Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Madhu Bangarappa directed officials to take concrete steps to further increase student enrolment in government schools in Karnataka, citing the improved facilities and academic support now available in the public education system.

Chairing a district-level review meeting of the Education department in Kalaburagi on January 7, the Minister said the introduction of LKG and UKG classes, and the launch of bilingual-medium schools had already led to an increase in enrolment. Officials must build on this momentum, he added.

Mr. Bangarappa said Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), offering integrated education from LKG to class 12 under one roof, were being expanded in the district. While Kalaburagi has 14 KPSs, 53 more have been sanctioned under the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board for the 2025-26 academic year.

Referring to academic performance, the Minister said several measures were being implemented to improve SSLC results in 2025-26. Under the ‘Mission 40+’ initiative, the district is expected to record better outcomes this year.

The State spends about ₹46,000 crore on education, he said, and stressed that officials must ensure quality teaching so that more students secure good results in the SSLC examination, without any student being neglected.

He directed the convening of a special meeting, to be chaired by the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, to address issues related to enrolment and to ensure that eligible children are brought into schools.

Guest teachers should be appointed wherever required to sustain academic performance, he added.

Mr. Bangarappa suggested the Deputy Commissioner and the Zilla Panchayat CEO organise awareness programmes to further improve results in the district. Smart classrooms should be provided in government schools wherever necessary, and Block Education Officers must regularly visit schools to assess ground-level conditions.

Expressing concern over declining enrolment and results at the pre-university level, he called for strict measures to improve both admissions and performance.

He said that coaching for NEET and JEE examinations had been introduced in pre-university colleges, and urged officials to ensure that more students benefit from the initiative.