NEWS

• Enrolment in Karnataka State Board schools has declined sharply for the academic year 2025-26.
• Total students enrolled this year: 99.47 lakh, down from 1.04 crore in 2024-25 and 1.05 crore in 2023-24.
• The overall decline compared to the previous year: 5.22 lakh students.

HIGHLIGHTS

Breakdown by School Type

• Government schools: 38.20 lakh (down 2.54 lakh from 2024-25).
• Aided schools: 11.09 lakh (down 77,000).
• Private unaided schools: 46.66 lakh (down 1.7 lakh).
• Other schools (run by social welfare and minorities departments): 3.50 lakh.

Trends Over Recent Years

• Government schools have lost 7.26 lakh students between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
• Private schools saw a slight increase of 1.39 lakh in 2024-25, but enrolment fell by 1.7 lakh this year.

Reasons for Decline

• Demographic factors: Decrease in birth rate is a key contributor.
• Government school challenges: Inadequate infrastructure, vacant teacher positions, and quality of education deter enrolment.
• Educationist V.P. Niranjanaradhya emphasizes that steps are needed to enhance infrastructure, fill vacancies, and improve education quality to retain students.