Karnataka Govt Schools: English and Kannada Classes in All From 2027-28
Parents in Karnataka will choose between Kannada and English in the same government school, but teacher training decides whether the 2027-28 date holds.
Image: Representative photo, Wikimedia Commons
Karnataka School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa has said every government school in the state will offer bilingual classes in English and Kannada from the 2027-28 academic year, according to reports in The Hindu, Deccan Herald and The Times of India. The rollout was first planned for 2026 but was pushed back because the state does not yet have enough trained teachers. The government says the aim is to compete with private schools and bring back students who have moved out of state-run schools.
Parents Get the Choice of Medium
Of Karnataka’s 46,757 government primary and high schools, 9,522 already run bilingual sections, and these schools enrol about 43 lakh students. From 2027-28, the remaining schools will add them. Bangarappa’s stated position is that parents have the right to choose the medium of instruction, so a child can study in Kannada or English in the same school. LKG and UKG classes have also been started in about 7,500 schools, and the first batch of bilingual students is now in Class 7.
Teacher Shortage Caused the Delay
The state has begun recruiting about 10,000 teachers, who will be trained along with existing staff. The delay from 2026 came down to this gap. Some academics argue the move could weaken Kannada-medium schools, and a teacher quoted by The Times of India questioned whether three days of training is enough to teach in English. The education department has been trying to lift enrolment in state schools for several years; in the Kalyana Karnataka region, 48,000 students enrolled in 42 days last year, the reports said.
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Teacher Training Is the Test
The state has not published a school-wise list for the 2027-28 rollout or the training schedule in the reports reviewed. Those details, and how many of the 10,000 recruits are in classrooms by June 2027, will show whether the new date holds. Karnataka is also in the news for its new bus fares from 5 November.
Source: Based on reporting by The Hindu, Deccan Herald and The Times of India.
Image: Representative photo of a government school classroom, Wikimedia Commons.
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