1,419 Govt Primary Schools Have Not Yet Received English Medium Textbooks

1,419 government primary schools in Karnataka face a shortage of English medium textbooks, causing challenges for students as mid-term exams approach.

on Sep 11, 2024

Starting from 2024-25, the government has permitted the introduction of English bilingual medium classes in government primary schools alongside existing Kannada/other mediums. In the state, 1,419 government primary schools with over 75 students have been given permission to commence classes in English medium from grade one alongside the existing Kannada medium. However, the government schools that received this directive are encountering their own set of issues.

At present, numerous students are preparing for mid-term exams, and the 1,419 schools that introduced English-medium sections earlier this year are still awaiting the delivery of textbooks. As a result, students are facing difficulties in studying their syllabus. In spite of this, on September 5, the government made the decision to authorize the addition of English-medium sections in 373 more schools by mid-year as part of its initiative to introduce the most sought-after sections in 2,000 schools.

Although the Karnataka Textbook Society, which supplies books to government schools, is expected to provide the necessary study materials by the end of this month, some experts have recommended utilizing previous years' books or downloading them from the website until alternative arrangements are made can provide assistance.

In 2019, during HD Kumaraswamy's tenure as chief minister, the English medium department was established in government schools. Since then, 2,403 schools, including 285 Karnataka public schools, have initiated English-medium departments. Encouraged by public demand, the state government has announced plans to include 2,000 English-medium departments in the 2024-25 budget. Despite this, there remains a shortage of textbooks for 1,419 schools, leading to frustration among parents due to the absence of books.