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Puttur, July 24, 2025: A significant increase in the demand for bilingual education within the government school system of Dakshina Kannada has resulted in a stark setback for Kannada-medium institutions. For the academic year 2024-25, a distressing 20 schools, with five of them located in the Puttur taluk, have recorded no new admissions for Class 1. This figure represents a substantial leap from the 14 schools that faced a similar fate last year, illustrating an escalating trend towards English-medium education. The affected educational establishments consist of eight government junior primary schools, seven aided senior primary schools, three aided high schools, and two unaided schools. This crisis is largely attributed to the intense rivalry for bilingual sections and a waning interest in classes conducted in the Kannada language, according to statements made by educational authorities.
Growing Preference for Bilingual Education
According to a Prajavani report by Sandhya Hegade today (July 24, 2025), 20 schools in the Dakshina Kannada district have experienced a complete absence of enrollment for the academic year. These include notable institutions such as DKZP School Mangebettu, DKZP School Machimale, DKZP School Meenadi, Swami Muktananda Paramahansa Senior Primary School Beluvai, and Sri Sita Raghava PUC Pernaje located in Puttur taluk. This alarming pattern of zero enrollment has expanded to affect additional schools across Mangalore South, Moodubidri, Sullia, and Bantwal taluks. Initially, the issue was observed in 40 schools in the 2022-23 session, but it has now escalated to a total of 74 schools being forced to shut their doors over a span of three years. Officials from the education department attribute this decline to the growing popularity of bilingual schools, with 238 currently operating in the district and 118 new approvals granted, which are apparently drawing students away from the traditional Kannada-medium education system. 7 Points to be noted on Kannada Schools Face Zero Enrollment crisis
1) 20 schools in Dakshina Kannada, including 5 in Puttur, recorded zero Class 1 enrollment in 2024-25.
2) Affected schools: 8 government junior primary, 7 aided senior primary, 3 aided high schools, and 2 unaided schools.
3) Puttur schools include DKZP School Mangebettu, Machimale, Meenadi, Swami Muktananda Paramahansa, and Sri Sita Raghava PUC.
4) 238 bilingual schools in the district, with 118 new approvals, draw students away from Kannada-medium classes.
5) 74 schools closed in the last three years due to zero enrollment.
6) Aided schools face challenges due to a lack of permanent teachers, relying on guest faculty.
7) English-medium sections face high demand, with some schools admitting over 100 students despite a 30-student cap
The situation at aided schools is equally dire as they grapple with the challenge of hiring permanent teachers, compelling them to depend heavily on guest faculty who are financially supported by the school management. This burden is further amplified by the ongoing issue of decreasing enrollment rates. An official from the education sector pointed out that the growing appeal of English-medium education in bilingual institutions has led to a substantial drop in admissions for Kannada-medium classes, despite being situated within the same school premises. This has intensified the pre-existing crisis in these educational establishments.
Keywords: Dakshina Kannada schools, Puttur taluk, zero enrollment, bilingual education, Kannada-medium schools, government schools, 2025 education crisis
