2-fold increase in admission at Kannada-English schools

Mangaluru: The pandemic, which led to the closure of educational institutions in the state, has not stopped some of the Kannada-English medium schools from recording two-fold increase in admissions.
Dakshina Kannada has 48 schools with approval to teach English from Class 1. As per the data available with TOI, these schools have collectively registered 1,735 admissions even before the commencement of regular classes. For instance, schools in Vittal and Daddalkad, in Bantwal taluk have 127 and 104 admissions respectively, which is the highest so far. Nearly 50 % schools have received above 30 admissions and about a dozen schools have double the number of children despite the state government capping the number at 30.
School managements also said that several children are on the waiting list as they have crossed the permitted numbers. Interestingly, there is a lukewarm response to Kannada-English school situated in South and North BEO limits, which had received single-digit admissions until this year.
Prakash Anchan, who heads Sarkari Shaale Ulisi Belesi (Protect and Promote Government School) and adopted Government Higher Primary School in Daddalakadu which has received 104 admission Class 1 English-Kannada medium, explained they have decided to have three batches for the students. “There is no dearth of enquiries. We have stopped admissions for the time being and are awaiting communication from government,” said Anchan. Daddalakadu school has children coming from six villages and one town municipality in Bantwal taluk. The school has classes from LKG to Class 9. While the school had 788 students last academic year, this year 285 students have sought admission.
Anchan also pointed that it is an apt time for the government to strengthen state-run schools by recruiting additional teachers.
Speaking to TOI, an official at the department of public instructions said, “If the parents were sceptical or had received negative feedback, the school admission wouldn’t have gone up. Parents who send their kids to private schools have personally witnessed how the Vidyagama scheme has been a great step during the pandemic. All these factors have given a boost to the rejuvenation of government schools.”
Commenting on the fall in admissions at government schools in city limits, an official said, “ The dip in demand is due to the migrant labours being away. The seats will get filled once they return to the city.”