Enrolment in govt schools dropped by 17 lakh in 15 years in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Enrolment in government-run schools in Karnataka has dropped by 17 lakh over the past 15 years, Minister Madhu Bangarappa informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Minister for School Education attributed the decline to parents preferring English-medium education, a growing interest in central syllabi, migration, and the increasing number of private schools.
The information was provided in a written reply to BJP MLA and former education minister S Suresh Kumar.
Stating that the government has taken steps to improve admissions in government schools, Bangarappa said a statewide enrolment awareness campaign is being conducted from November 14, 2025, to June 30, 2026, to attract students to state-run institutions.
Between 2018 and 2025, bilingual (Kannada and English) pre-primary sections were introduced in 6,675 government schools, he said. Bilingual classes from grades 1 to 5 have now been launched in 9,522 schools.
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The minister said computer labs were set up in 5,437 government primary and high schools in 2024–25, while 1,072 more labs are being established during 2025–26.
A total of 3,862 schools have smart-class facilities, and 173 have innovative labs. Science labs are being set up in 489 schools, and 614 pre-university colleges, and vocational education is being offered in 375 schools.
Under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka project, Rs 838.75 crore has been allocated for developing and repairing classrooms, toilets and furniture, he said. Recruitment is underway for 5,267 teachers in the Kalyana Karnataka region and 5,000 teachers in other districts.
To address the teacher shortage, the government has engaged 43,526 guest teachers and 5,508 guest lecturers, Bangarappa added.
He said 309 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), which offer education from pre-primary to pre-university on a single campus, have been established so far, and another 900 schools are being upgraded to KPS status this year.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
