Now Reading: Karnataka school admissions fall by four lakh this year
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Karnataka school admissions fall by four lakh this year
School admissions in Karnataka dropped by nearly four lakh this year, with 96.21 lakh children enrolled against 1.002 crore last year, data shows. The decline hit private schools hardest, losing 1.76 lakh…
The Story in Brief
School admissions in Karnataka dropped by nearly four lakh this year, with 96.21 lakh children enrolled against 1.002 crore last year, data shows. The decline hit private schools hardest, losing 1.76 lakh students, while government schools lost one lakh in Class 1 alone.
Officials cite falling birth rates, the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, confusion over the Class 1 minimum age rule, and private school fee hikes of 10-20% as reasons. Commissioner Vikas Kishore Suralkar said the fall is across all managements, though high school admissions at government schools rose. Parents seek a longer age relaxation.
The Indian Opinion
The headline numbers mask a real shift: government schools are losing the least, which embarrasses the private-school lobby. But the age-rule flip-flop and last-minute clarity hurt poor and middle-class families most. Instead of blaming birth rates alone, fix the admission calendar and publish unauthorised-school data. Watch whether the December 31 cut-off is accepted.
Sources (2): deccanherald.com, siasat.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
