To promote English-medium education from the primary level and enhance the learning abilities of students in government schools, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has announced plans to introduce pre-primary classes (LKG and UKG) and additional bilingual (English-medium) sections starting from class I in government schools across Karnataka for the academic year 2024-25.
Government schools meeting the eligibility criteria are encouraged to submit proposals by February 28, detailing factors such as student numbers, infrastructure availability, faculty, and other amenities.
Presently, Karnataka boasts 46,757 government primary and high schools, catering to 4,292,351 students, including 2,686 bilingual schools offering English-medium education. The Department of Public Instruction has received 613 proposals from Deputy Directors seeking approval for bilingual sections from class I for the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25. Proposals for starting pre-primary schools in 2024-25 are under review, with additional invitations for eligible schools.
Officials are instructed to conduct surveys in educationally disadvantaged areas before the academic year commences, proposing the introduction of pre-primary classes and bilingual (English-medium) sections in existing government schools. Proposals for upgrading classes I to V to classes VI to VIII or classes I to VII/VIII to classes IX and X are also encouraged, along with suggestions for school relocation or mergers due to enrollment shortages.
B.B. Cauvery, Commissioner of the Department of Public Instruction, stated, “Proposals are invited to initiate bilingual sections in government schools located in rural and underserved areas with adequate infrastructure. A checklist of prerequisites is provided, and the deadline for proposal submission is February 28. Following checklist verification, the department will forward proposals to the government for initiating bilingual sections and pre-primary schools in eligible schools from the upcoming academic year.”
However, concerns have been raised regarding teacher shortages. Karnataka’s government has sanctioned 237,040 teacher positions for government schools, with 183,180 filled and 53,860 vacancies. In bilingual medium schools, out of 11,124 sanctioned teacher posts, only 7,276 are occupied, leaving 3,848 vacancies. Stakeholders emphasize the importance of adequately filling these positions to ensure effective English-medium education delivery in government schools.
